Plun-Darr Joins the Confederacy
by Balin Lord of Moria
Summary: The Mutants and the Lunataks look for new opportunities and new ways to gain power by traveling to the galaxy far, far away and enlisting with Count Dooku's Separatists. The galaxy is in for one mean fight with these barbarians on the side of the freedom-loving Confederacy.
1. Introduction to the CIS

**A/N: **This is the first part of a fan fiction I plan on writing about the _ThunderCats_ characters getting involved in _The Clone Wars_ from _Star Wars_. In it, the Mutants and Lunataks of Plun-Darr agree to fight for the Separatist Alliance in an attempt to find freedom from the "oppression" of the ThunderCats and start anew in another galaxy. Little do they know what sorts of trouble they're in for. OC Mutants will also be shown in this series, and occasionally, some of the Mutants and/or Lunataks may be a little OOC.

The ThunderCats, a few of their allies, and the Republic and the Jedi will figure in the next prelude story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Star Wars: The Clone Wars_ or _ThunderCats_. The former is owned by Dave Filoni and Disney, and the latter is owned by Rankin/Bass Productions.

* * *

**_Introduction to the C.I.S._**

It was the usual dreary sort of day at Castle Plun-Darr. Slithe, Monkian, Jackalman, and Vultureman were sitting around a table, playing a game of cards to keep themselves busy. Suddenly, who should enter the room but Ratar-O, the General of the Mutant forces. Evidently, he had something to say to them, because he demanded their attention.

"Hey, get off your lazy behinds, you stupid lackeys! We have just been offered the opportunity of a lifetime, and it comes from someone from a world very far away from this miserable Third Earth," he said.

Slithe glowered at him. "What do you want, Ratar-O? You only ever come around here when you want to bully us into being your obedient soldiers! Well, get used to disappointment, because I'm not going to serve you again, even if you sic the Rat's Eye on me in the most painful way possible!"

"Believe me, Slithe, if I did that, you would live to regret it," sneered Ratar-O. "But I'm not just talking to you, Reptile, and this is much better than fighting those noisome ThunderCats all the time."

"Hoo! Hoo! Then out with it, Ratar-O!" exclaimed Monkian, "Where is this place, and who, or what, did you make a bargain with?"

"It's far on the other end of the galaxy," said Ratar-O, "And it's being hosted on a planet called Geonosis. A human man known as Count Dooku has started a Separatist movement that calls for worlds to live free of the righteous oppression of the Galactic Republic that rules that galaxy as a so-called democracy. Planets that join this movement can live free of taxation, govern their own affairs, and basically live and let live, and they can cooperate as a sort of Separatist Alliance in that they will back each other up in times of danger with one of the greatest militaries in the galaxy. The good Count is calling it the Confederacy of Independent Systems."

All the Mutants except for Vultureman stared at him as if he was crazy. Jackalman laughed. "Oh, really, Ratar-O?" he chortled, "That's the best one I've heard yet! The Mutants of Plun-Darr joining a galactic Confederacy? Mutants are free agents! We don't owe anybody anything!"

"My feeling, exactly," said Slithe, "We keep to ourselves as a group. We're only allied with Mumm-Ra and the Lunataks because we have no choice. Mutants don't look out for others, yessss?"

"I hear Tug Mug once said the same thing about his own kind," said Ratar-O, "And right now, Luna and her Lunataks are already part of this Confederacy, or C.I.S."

The Mutants looked at him sharply. "What?!" Slithe barked, "Those loonies made a decision without us, again? The nerve of those dirty things! I knew they couldn't be controlled!"

Vultureman spoke up just then. "Slithe," he said as patiently as he could, "You know how much I love being able to rule the world as much as any Mutant-"

"Don't we all," interrupted Monkian, "You've broken ranks with us enough times to-"

"_Cawwww! I'm not finished!"_ Vultureman squawked.

"Oh, let the old buzzard finish, boys," said Slithe moodily, "It's not like Mumm-Ra is sending us on any mission right now; we have all day, yessss?"

"But I was going to say," continued Vultureman, having a drink of water after screaming, "that maybe it wouldn't be all that bad to make a fresh start with this 'C.I.S.' We've never gotten anywhere with fighting the ThunderCats, nor have we gotten anywhere with trying to shake off Mumm-Ra's influence. Maybe this Count Dooku has better manners than Mumm-Ra, and he can help us find a new path towards carving our niche as the ultimate plunderers of the galaxy. And besides, with a very large military backing us up, how could we lose?" He turned to Ratar-O and said, "I'm in, General Ratar-O."

Ratar-O smiled for a second. "Good to see my most loyal ally is with me. How about the rest of you? Have you made up your minds yet, or do you need some encouragement?" He fingered one of his Rat's Eye daggers and raised an eyebrow.

Monkian and Jackalman cringed. "Well," said Monkian nervously, "I would love an opportunity to kick some butt in another galaxy and maybe get power like I've never had before. There may even be innocent people there who need the help of a clever Simian like me. Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!"

"Nyah, why not?" said Jackalman, "I'd love to see what sorts of valuables this galaxy has, and if this Dooku is a rich Count, maybe he's looking to share some of his wealth." He snickered. "What about you, Slithe?"

Slithe stared at everyone angrily. "You're not seriously thinking of going along with this bull, are you, fools? You're all crazy!" Then he groaned and said, "Well, as rightful leader of the Mutants, I loathe having to say this, but if you can't beat them, join them."

The other Mutants cheered. Slithe yelled, _"Will you stop that, idiots?!"_ They quieted down. Ratar-O smirked.

"Now," said Slithe, _"General Ratar-O_. Do you mind telling us exactly how we're going to get to this planet you called Geonosis? I mean, even with the RatStar, we can never make it there in a hurry."

"Relax, Reptilian," Ratar-O assured him, "There is a gateway in the forest several miles from the Warrior Maidens' village, in a deep, dark cave. The Maidens don't know about it, but I was fortunate to come upon it. All our vehicles, including the RatStar, will be able to fit through this gateway and travel in space and time. But I suggest that we get moving, or else Dooku, the Lunataks, and Nute Gunray and company will lose patience for our arrival, anyway."

"Who's Nute Gunray?" asked Jackalman.

"A grubby worm of a merchant who's innate fear makes your cowardice look like courage, Jackalman," snorted Ratar-O. "The same could be said for the company he keeps."

* * *

The gateway was eactly where Ratar-O had said it would be. And he was telling the truth, all their vehicles, the NoseDiver, the SkyCutters, Vultureman's Flying Machine, and the RatStar, fit through the dark gateway. They sat around for an indeterminate amount of time in a show of bright lights, mostly blue and white, until, finally…

Their vehicles came out of the gateway and shot out into a red desert world pockmarked with holes for giant insect hives. Unknowingly, Monkian almost clipped the wings of a native Geonosian drone patrolling the skies. The bug prepared to shoot his SkyCutter, but after noticing the RatStar nearby, he lowered his weapon and resumed patrol.

_The natives must already be aware of our coming,_ reasoned Monkian. _But since when does Count Dooku align himself with bugs?_

Slithe, in turn, sliced right through a B1 battle droid that was also patrolling the area with the drill on his NoseDiver. Other battle droids stopped what they were doing to stare.

"Watch it, you spindly idiots!" Slithe shouted back at them.

He just heard one of the droids chatter, "Hey, that's just rude!" And then another one said, "You're telling me. But then I guess all reptiles are like that, right?" "You said it!" said the first. "Roger, roger! Roger, roger!"

_Great,_ Slithe thought, _talkative battle robots. That's all I need._

Ratar-O guided them to a landing platform near one of the bigger hive structures, and the Geonosians and battle droids gave them clearance for landing. After their vehicles were parked next to a strange-looking speeder of some sort, they were shown inside. It was rather dark in there, but soon, the Mutants spotted a group of people walking down a path in the catacombs. It included an elderly human man in dark clothes and a cloak of armorweave, a couple more of those bugs, and a troupe of slimy-looking aliens that were surprisingly well dressed. They were talking about the affairs of the Confederacy, evidently.

"We must persuade the Commerce Guild and the Corporate Alliance to join our cause," said the old man. The Mutants had a feeling he was Count Dooku.

The tall, green-skinned alien walking just behind him said, "What about the senator from Naboo? Is she dead yet? I am not signing your treaty until I have her head on my desk."

"I am a man of my word, Viceroy Gunray," the Count assured him.

"Gunray almost looks like another slimy Reptilian, don't you think?" said Jackalman.

"I'll show you who's slimy-!" hissed Slithe.

"Quiet, fools!" hissed Ratar-O. "It's not time for you to talk yet!" Reluctantly the Mutants obeyed him.

Another one of the merchants was talking. He had the deepest voice the Mutants had ever heard anyone use. "With these new battle droids we've built for you, you'll have the finest army in the galaxy."

As if to sharply contrast with that deep voice, they suddenly heard Luna's high-pitched voice say, "I must say, Foreman Tambor, these robots you call droids are a mixed batch. Many of them look impressive, but many more like those skinny B1's, look pathetic. Even Amok here could do better in battle than they could."

"Perhaps," said Wat Tambor, "But the B1's do have one advantage. We'll be using them in massive numbers in every battle they enter. And the B2 supers are much more impressive and indomitable, and I am working on a B3 ultra model battle droid for some point in the future."

"Well, I just hope they live up to your expectations," said Luna.

"Worry not, Luna," said Dooku, "We have enough of a variety of droids in my arsenal to stand up to any threat. Ah, yes, welcome back, Ratar-O," he said suddenly as he noticed the Ratman Mutant step up to him. "I take it these are the Mutants you told me about. Hmm. I must say they are quite underdressed, even for half-animal men."

"Cawww! With all due respect, Count Dooku," said Vultureman, "Don't worry about the way the Mutants of Plun-Darr dress. This is simply natural for our species. But we intend to do everything we can to assist you in your crusade against the Republic."

"Very well," said Dooku, "Follow me, then. The conference room is right this way."

* * *

The Mutants got in line with Dooku, the other Separatist leaders, and Luna and Amok. The Plun-Darrians didn't like the way Nute Gunray and Wat Tambor were looking at them, as if they already didn't approve of them. Luna, of course, was the only one of them who spoke her mind. "So, you pathetic fools are taking part in this, too," she said. "You know, only the Lunataks deserve to join ranks with the Confederacy of Independent Systems, because we are prepared for any non-ThunderCat-related threat!"

"Oh really, Luna?" said Vultureman sarcastically, "I'll have you know my expertise as an inventor and a chemist could turn the tide of this conflict someday!"

"Like what?" demanded Luna, "Another of those useless 'sound cannons?'"

The old bug walking beside Dooku turned and said something completely unintelligible in a strange clicking, croaking language.

"Easy, Poggle," said Dooku, "These are our guests right now. Do not get so upset when they quarrel. I will handle matters if things get too out of hand."

Poggle the Lesser grunted and apologized. Reluctantly, Luna and Vultureman also apologized. But Monkain and Jackalman snickered at the bug's name.

"Poggle!" said Monkian. "Even the Simians have better names than that!"

"Hee, hee, hee!" said Jackalman, "That's a good one, Monkian!"

Without warning, Dooku turned around and, with a wave of his hand, somehow pushed aside everyone except the laughing duo. Then he raised his hand in their direction, and bluish-white lightning shot out of his fingers. Monkian and Jackalman cried out as excruciating electric pain coursed through their bodies. Dooku utilized it for a few more seconds, and then he released them. He stared at them with a mild frown as they sank to the ground. Poggle chortled this time.

"Let that be a warning as to what sorts of power I wield when my allies are either insolent or treacherous," he said quietly. Somehow Dooku's quiet voice was even more intimidating than Mumm-Ra's yelling. They walked on.

Monkian and Jackalman shook themselves as the pain slowly wore off, and followed the others, their trembling lips tightly sealed.

They soon reached the conference room. On the way, after recovering from his shocking ordeal, Monkian, ever the spy, could have sworn he saw a glimpse of a young human man silently hiding in the alcoves. He almost mentioned this to Dooku, despite his fear of the old man, but then he heard the young man whisper, while waving his hand, "You didn't see anything."

Monkian muttered, "I didn't see anything," and continued on, forgetting about the mysterious spy.

In the conference room, numerous alien men and women were sitting or standing around a stone table in the darkened room. Dooku was speaking with them about the affairs of the secessionist movement that he had started with the Separatist Alliance. The Mutants didn't fail to notice that the other Lunataks were also sitting around the table.

"As I explained to you earlier," said Dooku, "I am quite convinced that ten thousand more systems will rally to our cause with your support, gentlemen."

"I believe you mean, _ladies and gentlemen_, Count," said Chilla boldly.

Dooku looked at her with that same cold expression she gave everybody. "Do not address trivial matters right now, Chilla," he said. "Everyone here except you knew what I meant."

Chilla frowned. It was too hot on this planet for her tastes, and she frequently wiped her forehead with an ice-cold handkerchief. The alien woman sitting near her, Shu Mai, of the Commerce Guild, glanced at her uneasily and said to Dooku, "What you are proposing could be construed as treason."

Wat Tambor was next to speak. "The Techno Union army…" here he paused because his translator, a complex vocabulator, was acting up, but then he continued, "…is at your disposal, Count."

A gaunt, smiling man with a very odd, half-human-like appearance said, "The IG Banking Clan will sign your treaty."

An especially ugly alien man who looked like some kind of storybook witch pronounced, "The Corporate Alliance will always be in debt to the Confederacy, my lord. We will do everything we can to protect our assets and intellectual properties."

"I can see where this is all leading," said Luna, "The profits will be astounding for us all. And you have also told us that the worlds that pledge support to the Separatists will be able to live free of the laws of those who always proclaim themselves to be righteous and good, am I right, Count Dooku?"

"Of course," said Dooku, "There is nothing quite like Jedi arrogance in the present era. The Jedi have been convinced since the beginning of their existence and the discovery of the light of the Force, that they have every right to rule the affairs of the galaxy and its ordinary citizens, and have fooled so many into thinking that they are righteous. And the Republic has been their weapon to spread their so-called gospel, because before becoming corrupted, the Republic always stood up for what was just and fair in the universe. But the Jedi and the Republic have to learn that the universe is not all black-and-white, and that is what the C.I.S. will do, as well."

Luna smiled. Even Amok smiled, and he didn't do that very often. The other Lunataks began to look interested. Even Slithe and the other Mutants were considering Dooku's proposal now.

Dooku said, "Our friends from the Trade Federation have pledged their support. And when their battle droids are combined with yours, we shall have an army greater than any in the galaxy. The Jedi will be overwhelmed. The Republic will agree to any demands we make."

Luna said just then, "Speaking for all my good cronies here, I'm in. I'll sign the treaty."

"So will I," said Ratar-O.

Slithe seemed to be thinking about it. Then he surprised all of his fellow Mutants by saying, "Why not? Mutantkind needs to make a name for itself as well, which it hasn't done since the Mutants wielded the Sword of Plun-Darr. If the Moons of Plun-Darr are in this with you, Count, so is the planet Plun-Darr!"

Vultureman blinked. Monkian and Jackalman started. Slithe looked at them and said, "That's right. We're in with these troubled worlds. After all, hasn't Plun-Darr always been a troubled world itself? It's time to show the galaxy that the Mutants will fight to be free of the piousness of the ThunderCats and their 'honorable' Code, yessss?"

Vultureman said, "I agree with Slithe for once."

Monkian and Jackalman still looked a little uncertain, but they always were ones to follow the crowd, and they too said, "We're in, too!"

Dooku smiled. "Then I believe the circle is now complete. The Confederacy of Independent Systems officially exists. Now, stand by, gentlemen, for I foresee that an event is coming in the near future that some of you will want to see."

"And can other Mutants and Lunataks be brought into the Confederacy, if that's possible?" Vultureman asked.

"Of course," said the Count. "Anyone from any Confederate world is welcome to play a part in the affairs of the Separatists."

The Separatist Council, as the other Separatist leaders would come to be known, started to disperse. As they did so, Vultureman suddenly asked, "If you don't mind my asking, O illustrious Count, who exactly are the 'Jedi?' And what is the Republic like?"

"Nyah, yes," said Jackalman, "And what did you mean by 'the Force,' exactly?"

"The matters of the Force are beyond your comprehension, I'm afraid," said Dooku disappointedly, "But you will learn all you need to know about it when you encounter the Jedi. As for the Jedi and the Republic, I have explained it all to Ratar-O and the Lunataks. They can explain them to you."

As the Separatist Council left, Gunray asked curiously, "And what, exactly, are 'ThunderCats?' They sound like they're real animals."

"If only you knew, Viceroy," said Red-Eye, "I will explain them to you right now."

"Does it have to be the biggest of you freaks?" complained Gunray.

"Yes," leered Red-Eye, "Unless you'd rather have Chilla or Alluro or Tug Mug explain it. Shall I get one of them?"

"No, no, no!" whimpered Gunray, "You'll do just fine!"

Jackalman looked at the grub-like Neimoidian, as he would later learn Gunray was part of that species. "I can see what Ratar-O meant. Even I could stand up to a wimp like that. I wonder why Dooku bothered including him among the Separatist leaders?"

_If only you knew,_ Dooku thought secretly. _If only you knew._

* * *

Darth Tyranus, or Count Dooku, stood before a hologram of his master, Darth Sidious, the secretive, hidden Sith Master who intended to take over the galaxy. He bowed.

"Lord Sidious," he said, "The Separatist leaders have all agreed to sign the treaty. The mysterious newcomers from the other end of the galaxy are also eager to take part in the C.I.S.' affairs."

Sidious seemed to look a little disapproving. "Are you sure it is a good idea, getting these total strangers involved in my master plan, Lord Tyranus? Even I know very little of such as these 'Mutants' and 'Lunataks,' and I have an uneasy feeling that these old adversaries of theirs they call the 'ThunderCats' could find a way to enter the war, as well. They may be an even worse bother. You know that, do you not?" His voice took on a steely edge.

"I understand, master," Dooku replied, "But one thing I have noticed about these people from Plun-Darr, especially the Mutants, is that they are easily defeated by most of their foes, and anyway, even with their advanced weapons and abilities, they are no match for the ultimate power, not to mention the foresight, of the Order of the Sith Lords. Even all together, they are no match for you and I."

Sidious smiled slightly. "That much is true. Two powerful Sith Lords, a master and an apprentice, are unconquerable in this unhappy era of the galaxy's existence. Darth Bane himself swore to that reality when he created the Rule of Two. Well, then, I still have some reservations about these creatures fighting for the Confederacy, but I can see your wisdom in this, also. All right, the Mutants and Lunataks have a place among the Separatists. But we must make sure that when we don't need them anymore, they disappear from the face of the galaxy in much the same way we intend to do to Nute Gunray and his ilk. Understood?"

Dooku bowed his head again. "Yes, my master."

"Good. Very good," said Sidious, and the transmission went out.


	2. The Battle of Geonosis

**A/N:** I don't always have a perfect or photographic memory for what took place in AOTC, TCW, ROTS, or the EU, so I might improvise on a lot of the dialogue from the _Star Wars_ characters in this story.

* * *

**_The Battle of Geonosis_**

The Mutants and the Lunataks had just been called back to Count Dooku's meeting room. Apparently, one of Dooku's favorite enforcers, an armored bounty hunter named Jango Fett, and some Geonosian drones, had captured three prisoners, one outside the spire, and the other two in one of the droid factories. A young Jedi named Obi-Wan Kenobi was caught spying out the activities of the Separatists. And in the droid factory, another Jedi who was apparently his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, and a Republic senator called Padmé Amidala, had been cornered by Jango and the drones.

Most of the Mutants and Lunataks stood in the back of the room, but Slithe, Ratar-O, and Luna and Amok were invited to stand beside Dooku's seat with Jango. Anakin and Padmé concentrated primarily on Dooku as they were being questioned about their presence, but they couldn't help but steal several confused glances at the Mutants and the Lunataks. Evidently, they got on the Jedi and senator's edge, especially Ratar-O and Amok. The latter looked like he wanted to test his mettle with Skywalker.

"I am well aware of your political agreements with the Separatists, Count Dooku," said Amidala, "And let me tell you this; your Confederacy isn't about government becoming business, it's about business becoming government!"

Slithe looked at Anakin Skywalker. Despite his almost lack of empathy, the Mutant could sense somehow that the man was holding in a lot of anger about something, something that may have happened very recently. It made Slithe a little uneasy, because he knew somehow that Skywalker was dangerous, possibly even more so than any ThunderCat he had ever faced, but at the same time, he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have such a fighter on the side of Plun-Darr.

Dooku was talking now: "The Republic cannot be fixed, m' lady. It is time to start over."

"Yessss," said Slithe, not caring if he was talking out of turn, "My kind may be new around here, but the Mutants and the Lunataks do live as free agents, and don't bow to just any authority's way of living. We've wanted power for so long, and we're going to get it this time."

"Speak for yourself, Slithe!" said Luna, "Although most of what he said _is_ true, senator. The Lunataks owe you and your Republic nothing!"

"If you don't mind my asking, Count," Amidala addressed Dooku, "Who _are_ those people? I have not learned of any such creatures being part of your secessionist movement."

"That is because they are latecomers to the fold of the Confederacy," Dooku explained smoothly, "Allow me to introduce Slithe, Ratar-O, Monkian, Jackalman, and Vultureman of the Mutants of Plun-Darr, and also Luna, Amok, Tug Mug, Alluro, Chilla, and Red Eye of the Lunataks from the Moons of Plun-Darr." He gestured to each Mutant and Lunatak in turn.

Amidala frowned. "I've never heard of a star system called Plun-Darr before," she said, "Is it in the Unknown Regions, or Wild Space?"

"To be perfectly honest, senator," said Dooku, "I know not its exact location. But it is very far away from Geonosis, and perhaps very far from lovely Coruscant, as well. But enough of answering questions you may not be able to tell anyone. It is time for your trial!"

* * *

The prisoners were taken to a courtroom of sorts, and Poggle the Lesser read off their crimes, which included trespassing and espionage. Amidala argued with Poggle over what the Geonosians were doing, building massive amounts of weaponry, to which Poggle answered that building weapons was the business of Geonosian Industries. But Nute Gunray was impatient with the proceedings, and insisted that Poggle go on with the sentence, because, "I want to see her suffer!" The rest of the Separatists looked like the feeling was mutual, and the Mutants and Lunataks were in no position to beg to differ, so Poggle ordered Amidala and Skywalker's execution in the petranaki arena in the hive city at the claws and teeth of ferocious beasts.

This excited Monkian and Jackalman, who always were the most barbaric Mutants. It was something they hadn't seen in a long time, sentenced victims being killed by beastly animals. They hooted and laughed nasally until Slithe had to tell them to calm themselves down and be patient.

* * *

A little while later, the Mutants and the Lunataks were sitting in the stone seats surrounding the arena, except for Ratar-O, Slithe, Vultureman, Luna, and Amok, who stood on a balcony with Dooku, Poggle, Gunray, Rune Haako, Jango, and Boba Fett, Jango's clone son. They had seen the Jedi Skywalker and Senator Amidala brought out into the arena, and manacled to stone pillars. Obi-Wan Kenobi was manacled to another pillar nearby.

"Strange," Monkian thought. "Haven't I seen him somewhere before?" But he couldn't quite put a name to the face the way he wanted to, and eventually he just let it go.

Poggle ordered the clamoring Geonosians to settle down, and then ordered the executions to begin. Subsequently, three gates opened in the arena's one circular wall, and out came three beasts, the likes of which even the Mutants hadn't seen before. An angry-looking beast with horns and the teeth of a herbivore came out of one chamber, and Poggle announced that it was called a Reek. Out of another door came a reptilian water creature walking on six spindly legs and the tips of its claws. It made a terrible screeching sound repeatedly that irritated Vultureman's ears. It was called an Acklay. The third beast was a furry feline with many eyes and a ravenous personality, called the Nexu.

Each animal went for a different intended victim. The Reek charged Skywalker. The Nexu swiped at Amidala. And the Acklay attempted to chew up Kenobi. Amidala had managed to climb on top of her pillar, but the Nexu slashed in her direction, and managed to put a few mild cuts into her back. Monkian and Jackalman hooted with laughter. Chilla and Tug Mug smiled coldly. Viceroy Gunray seemed to enjoy that moment the most.

But the prisoners were fighting back almost as fiercely as the beasts. The Acklay accidentally freed Kenobi. Amidala gave the Nexu a tough kick. The Reek just couldn't compete with Skywalker, who was soon free, as well. Amidala had used some sort of pick to free herself.

Gunray didn't like that so much. "She can't do that! Shoot her, or something!"

Vultureman started to raise his laser crossbow, but Dooku pushed his hands down, a signal not to follow Gunray's order.

Soon, things started to get a little more out of hand. Skywalker had somehow managed to calm the Reek, and now he seemed to tame it, jumping on its back and riding it. He sent the Reek running at the Nexu, killing it with one charge of its horns. Then he shouted for Amidala to jump, which she did. She landed on the back of the Reek, behind Skywalker, and on the way out of the arena, they picked up Kenobi, who had managed to outwit the Acklay.

"This isn't how it's supposed to be!" Gunray protested. "Jango! Vultureman! Somebody, finish her off!"

Vultureman looked at Dooku and shrugged. Jango just glanced at Gunray.

"Patience, Viceroy, patience," said Dooku, "She will die."

From out of the exit came several of those deadly destroyer droids the Separatists called Droidekas. They rolled out and surrounded the prisoners, and then they unfurled and aimed their repeating blasters at them. Things were starting to look up for the Separatists again.

Suddenly, without warning, a purple plasma blade ignited near Jango's neck. Vultureman squawked in surprise. They turned around and saw a dark-skinned human man in those same Jedi clothes Kenobi and Skywalker wore, whose face looked implacably grim and stern.

Dooku was evidently the least surprised to see him there. "Master Windu," he said, "How pleasant of you to come and join us."

"This party's over," said Mace Windu bluntly.

Then, to the alarm of all the Plun-Darrians, countless men and women, some of them human, many others various aliens, appeared out of nowhere all throughout the arena, and they ignited their own plasma swords, although theirs were mostly green or blue. They seemed to be everywhere. Jackalman and Monkian cringed. Many of the Geonosians in the seats took flight and fled.

"Very brave of you, Master Windu," said Dooku, "But...futile. You're hopelessly outnumbered."

Windu put on a mocking look. "I don't think so."

Dooku merely replied, "We'll see."

"Get him, Amok!" yelled Luna. Amok moved in to pound Windu to death. But the Jedi Master only raised his left hand, palm outward, and Amok and Luna felt themselves being shoved backwards off the balcony, falling on the ground, stunned.

Next, B2 super battle droids began to March towards the balcony, firing their wrist blasters as they walked. Slithe and Vultureman watched in stunned amazement as the Jedi's lightsaber (as they would later learn it was called) blocked all the shots perfectly, as if Windu could foresee when and where they would shoot. Ratar-O swiped out his daggers and tried to use the Rat's Eye on Windu, but that, too, was deflected, and soon Ratar-O felt his own powers being used against him. Crying out in pain, he fell on the balcony's floor.

Jango fired a wrist-mounted flame thrower at Windu, who jumped, almost ThunderCat-style, off the balcony and landed on his feet on the ground below. The arena soon erupted into all-out battle as B1 and B2 battle droids marched in to fight the Jedi.

"Monkian! Jackalman!" shouted Slithe, "Get off your cowardly behinds and get down there and fight! If we're going to serve this Separatist Alliance, we might as well help them fight their battles, yessss?"

"Hoo, hoo!" said Monkian nervously, and Jackalman looked nervous, too, but they did as they were told, got their weapons and went down to the arena. Slithe dragged Vultureman down with him, almost literally. Ratar-O stayed with Dooku and Gunray. The Lunataks sprang into action, too, after an initial hesitation.

Numerous small battles ensued. Tug Mug used his gravity carbine to make several Jedi, Padawans and Masters float in the air, making them easier targets for droids, and expertly dodged attacks from other Jedi with his own high jumping ability. Red Eye made a few surprise ambushes on some other Masters, using his big eyes to see them before they came, and his chest-mounted disk to burn them with fire. The planet was too hot for Chilla's ice breath to have much effect, but she conjured up her own fireballs to substitute for that. Alurro wasn't sure exactly how to fight Jedi, but his psyche club managed to ensnare Jedi Knight Joclad Danva and some other Jedi temporarily, and all but Danva were killed before they could break free of Alluro's mind control. And once they recovered from Windu's strange attack, Luna and Amok pounded and squeezed some of the other Jedi, although Amok was almost killed at one point by Masters Ki-Adi-Mundi and Plo Koon. He barely escaped their lightsabers' swings.

The Mutants were doing their best to keep up with the Lunataks. Slithe knew his axe would never hold up against a sword made of plasma, so he threw warp gas grenades instead. Another group of Padawans became afraid by the effects of the gas and became easier targets for the droids, although an older Padawan named Barriss Offee managed to crush the rest of Slithe's supply and dispel the gas. Vultureman joined the droids in shooting at the Jedi. Monkian gave Jedi like Aayla Secura and Luminara Unduli a hard time with his monkey-faced shield, seeing as lightsabers couldn't deflect cannonballs as well as they could blaster bolts. Jackalman made sneaky ambushes on some of the youngest Jedi there, clubbing them to death.

"Ha, ha!" said Jackalman, "I haven't had this much fun fighting in years, Monkian!"

"Hoo! Hoo! You said it, Jackalman! It's like the good old days, before we came to Third Earth!" replied Monkian.

"Hey! What did I just tell you two?" demanded Slithe while dodging Offee's attacks, "Less yapping, more fighting, yessss?"

"Oh, yes, of course, Slithe," they both said. Monkian continued to shoot at both Secura and Unduli and said casually, "I can keep this up all day, ladies!"

"Let's hope you don't have to!" said Vultureman, who hoped this battle would soon have a decisive victory in their favor.

A Jedi Master named Coleman Trebor had tried to duel Dooku on the balcony, but Ratar-O slowed him down with the Rat's Eye, and then Jango shot him dead, and he fell off the balcony. Then Jango joined the fight down below on his jet pack, wanting to fight Windu again, evidently. Boba had moved to another spot on the balcony. Gunray and Haako cowered every time a deflected laser blast came their way.

Of course, not everything went the Separatists' way. During a fierce battle with Windu, one of the deadliest fighters Ratar-O had ever seen, which resulted in the rampaging Reek's death, Jango Fett was cleanly decapitated by the Jedi Master. Boba stared in shock. Even Dooku seemed a little startled. Nonetheless, the battle droids and Geonosians were getting the upper hand. The number of Jedi had dwindled from what looked like over two hundred to a few dozen, and even with the assistance of Kenobi, Skywalker, and Amidala, who had taken a battle droid's blaster, they were finally cornered by the droids, the Mutants, and the Lunataks in the center of the arena.

Count Dooku complimented the gallant fight all the Jedi survivors had put up with his droids, and promised to spare their lives if they surrendered. He said all this with the grace of a gentleman.

But Windu said, "We will not be hostages to be bartered, Dooku!" Tug Mug and Red Eye snickered at that.

"Then, I'm sorry, old friend," Dooku said politely. And with that, the battle droids, which had stopped shooting when the Jedi were cornered, readied their blasters to finish off the remaining Jedi Knights. The Mutants and the Lunataks got their own weapons ready, too. Alluro considered persuading them to surrender with his psyche club.

But just then, the most appalling thing happened to the warriors of Plun-Darr. Suddenly, a shadow loomed overhead, and exotic-looking gunships started to lower themselves into the arena. Evidently, they were sent by the Republic. And inside them were countless soldiers, all dressed in the same identical blank white armor with T-visor helmets, a diminutive, elf-like alien with a walking stick, obviously an old guy, and...the ThunderCats!

"Oh, please!" exclaimed Vultureman, "Tell me I'm dreaming! _The ThunderCats, here!?_"

Lion-O, Lord of the ThunderCats, leaped off the first gunship and came down towards the balcony. Ratar-O almost screamed, but Dooku calmly used that familiar pushing power to knock the ThunderCat to the ground below. Soon, the other ThunderCats jumped off the other gunships, led by Tygra and Panthro, and soon, the clone's blue blaster bolts, the lasers from the gunships' turrets, and the various weapons of the ThunderCats, were ripping into the battle droids, soon joined by the few remaining Jedi and Senator Amidala.

The Mutants and the Lunataks were forced to flee back into the spire, though not without putting up another pointless fight with the ThunderCats, who always were their superiors in combat abilities. Dooku and Gunray joined them.

Boba Fett stayed in the arena, holding the helmeted head of his dead father, along with a couple of funny-looking droids, as the Jedi and Amidala boarded the gunships and escaped the arena. By this time, the last of the Geonosian spectators had fled the scene.

* * *

Inside a Geonosian war room, the Separatists, the Mutants, and the Lunataks watched the ensuing battle unfold before them with Dooku. The Separatists certainly had an interesting array of larger droids with greater firepower to fight the Republic army, including Hailfire Droids, Homing Spider Droids, and Dwarf Spider Droids. Vultureman privately wished he had been able to make an army like that himself back on Third Earth to fight the ThunderCats. But Slithe was too livid to care for the moment.

"I don't understand it!" he roared, "The ThunderCats are here? We specifically went along with your brilliant idea so we could get away from the ThunderCats, Ratar-O! And now look what's happened! They've followed us here, and they've evidently sided with the Republic and Jedi that oppose the Confederacy! You mind telling me what happens now?"

"Enough, Slithe!" Ratar-O said in that commanding voice Slithe had so grown to loathe, "I never said that we'd be able to escape the ThunderCats altogether! And who's to say that this droid army isn't better than that Republic army? We've all committed ourselves to this now, and we're not backing out now! We're with the C.I.S., and that's that!"

"Hoo, hoo!" said Monkian, "But we've never been able to beat the ThunderCats in combat before in the long run. How are we going to do it now?"

"With Count Dooku and his military, of course, stupid!" Ratar-O stated impatiently.

Nute Gunray was talking to Dooku just then. "The Jedi have amassed a huge army!"

"Impossible," said Dooku, "How could the Jedi have built up an army so quickly?"

"We must send all available droids into battle!" Gunray said.

Dooku shook his head. "There are too many," he replied, meaning the Republic soldiers.

Poggle said something about their communications being jammed.

"We must get all our starships back into space!" recommended Haako.

Poggle said, "We have to order a retreat."

"My master will never allow the Republic to get away with this treachery," Dooku said.

"The Jedi must not find the plans for our ultimate weapon," said Poggle, walking over to a computer that showed a holo of a spherical spaceship of some kind, and taking a cartridge from it, turning off the holo. "If they find out what we are planning to build, we're doomed."

"What was that sphere that was just on-screen?" asked Luna.

"That," said Dooku mysteriously, "is the ultimate battle station. The Geonosians are beginning to build it now, and soon, my master and I will recruit others to help continue the construction. It shall have enough firepower to destroy entire planets. Of course, it will take some years to build, but when it is complete, no star system will dare oppose the demands of the Separatists."

"Destroy entire planets, eh?" Tug Mug said excitedly. "With a weapon like that, we could control more than just Third Earth; we could control the galaxy!"

"We will," said Alluro, "It's always been our dream."

"I'd like to play a part in the use of that weapon," said Vultureman, "I've spent my whole adult life making weapons, and this one must be the weapon to end all weapons!"

"The galaxy will live in terror of the Lunataks, and the Separatists," proclaimed Chilla.

"Even the ThunderCats won't be able to stand up to a weapon like that," boasted Red Eye.

"I am glad you remembered to say 'we' instead of 'I' or 'you,'" said Dooku, "I must take these plans with me to Coruscant. They will be much safer there, with my master."

"If you don't mind my asking, Count, who is this master of yours?" Slithe asked it politely, but there was a tingling suspicion that Dooku might mean Mumm-Ra.

"Do not worry about it right now, Slithe," Dooku said, "You and the others will find out in time. Meanwhile, you must get yourselves and your vehicles to one of the shuttles and get off this planet. If you wish to serve the Confederacy of Independent Systems, you'll do much more good alive than dead."

"Good idea, Count," said Ratar-O, "because we were unprepared for the ThunderCats' surprise visit to Geonosis. But we'll be ready for them next time."

"You're damn right we will, Ratar-O," said Luna, "The Lunataks don't give up that easily, and the Confederacy _will_ make its mark on the galaxy!"

The other Lunataks and Mutants cheered and whooped. The Separatist leaders looked at them as if they actually were animals. Then they followed Gunray, Poggle, and the other leaders to a docking bay where they got into three Neimoidian shuttles and left.

Of course, before they left the war room, Monkian's keen hearing caught Dooku saying quietly, "Oh, I have no doubt the Confederacy will leave a lasting mark on the galaxy, my friends."


	3. No End in Sight

**A/N:** For readers who are waiting for my fan fiction from the ThunderCats' and Jedi perspectives, I will be starting it pretty soon. This was an idea that came to me today, and I wanted to write it down while I still had enthusiasm to do so. This chapter is about the EU comic, _Star Wars: Republic 50: The Defense of Kamino_, and the first Clone Wars Battle of Kamino, which introduced Commander Merai, a hero of the Separatists, who appears in this chapter, and only this chapter. And Slithe will be slightly OOC in this chapter.

* * *

_**No End in Sight**_

Slithe stood around in the underwater city on Dac, or Mon Calamari, the home of the species of the same name. Their neighbors, the Quarren, had reportedly joined the C.I.S.' ranks, but a faction of the Mon Calamari were evidently also part of the Separatist Alliance, and some of its officers were conversing with Passel Argente.

Passel Argente. He was that ugly, witch-like alien who was the Magistrate of the Corporate Alliance. Slithe had to admit that Argente's oily cloak certainly fit such a slimy creature, because he had heard about Argente's avarice and greed for money. It certainly made these Mon Cals look very out-of-place beside him, because they talked like men who had the best interests of the galaxy at heart. Near Slithe stood a small army of Mutant Reptilians brought over from Third Earth; Slithe thought they would make a good backup crew for the Separatists Slithe fought with.

"Ssssooo, then," said Slithe to a Mon Cal, "Who is this leader of yours you speak so highly of?" He gestured to a Mon Cal officer in a commander's uniform.

"That would be Commander Merai, General Slithe," said the Mon Cal. "He's one of the most legendary modern day military commanders of Dac. He makes it his business to see that the galaxy is a much happier place for everybody. The only Mon Cal whose military genius rivals his is Captain Ackbar, who, unfortunately, preferred to ally himself with the Republic."

"I see," Slithe said, "And what's the point of this meeting? What does Magistrate Argente want Merai to do, exactly?"

"The Separatist Alliance is besieging the clone trooper home world of Kamino," replied the Mon Cal, "Apparently, Passel wants the good Commander Merai to do him a favor in this battle that could turn the war in favor of the Separatists. If you want to know more, just step in closer and listen for yourself."

Slithe was interested enough to listen more closely, that was for sure. He heard Argente saying, "You've certainly got the biological advantage."

A robed Mon Cal said, "The plan doesn't cover very many contingencies."

A second robed Mon Cal said, "The Corporate Alliance is asking us to risk everything on this battle. It's a giant gamble for us, for the whole Confederacy. This shield – where do you get your information?"

Argente replied, "If I could tell you from whom I get my information, you wouldn't be pacing the room, wearing your fingers to the bone. But in times of strife, advantages must be honored with secrecy. You'll turn the tide of this war, if you'll excuse the expression. One hit, and they'll have no defense. You drop a couple C-9979's, and walk the droid troops right through the place. No more clone army. No more Clone War."

Slithe was surprised to hear that the Republic was cloning soldiers to fight their battles instead of recruiting or conscripting them. "It just goes to show," he thought, "that sometimes, even 'righteous' people aren't as righteous as they think they are. The Republic Senate is evidently a bunch of corrupt hypocrites!" He laughed inwardly.

"What do you think, Merai?" Argente was asking Merai, "Too big a risk for the greatest Mon Calamari commander?"

"Yessss," Slithe interjected, "I'm interested in this, too, you know. It'll serve well if you have a helping hand from my Reptilian army and I, Commander. As a new Separatist, I'd like an opportunity to show the Senate that they can't have their cake and eat it, too!"

Merai looked at Slithe with surprise. He had initially been taken aback by this bizarre-looking lizard-man and his cohorts, of whose species he had never heard of in his life. But then Merai looked into Slithe's eager eyes, and could see that this Mutant wanted in on the action as much as he did.

"You honor me, Duke," Merai said, "And you too, Reptilian Slithe. I'm just glad to have the chance to aid the cause of freedom in the galaxy. When do we strike?"

For some reason, Slithe sensed that this fish-man wasn't going to let him down, like so many others had in the past.

* * *

The ocean world of Kamino was ablaze with battle, both on the surface and in space. Jedi Starfighters and Vulture Droids filled the sky with vicious laser fire. Merai's _Lucrehulk_-class battleship emerged from hyperspace in the thick of all this.

"Divert two squadrons of droids back to the assault ships, and have our men hammer on these Jedi," Merai ordered his men, "Alert the amphibious squadrons – I want them directly over the cloning facility when that shield goes down."

As the battle went on, Merai had a short conversation with Slithe after the Reptilian ordered his own soldiers to get ready to fight.

"You think this will really work?" Slithe asked the Mon Cal commander.

"I hope so," said Merai, "If the Confederacy can win this fight, it'll mean a fast end to the war, and a lot fewer lives sacrificed for the sake of winning it."

"That might let down some of my colleagues a bit, like Monkian, Jackalman, and the Lunataks," remarked Slithe, "because they love to fight. But I agree that this Galactic Republic and its Jedi Order have to be brought to their knees, because Mutantkind has suffered too many so-called righteous defeats from the ThunderCats already."

"Just what are ThunderCats, if I may kindly ask?" inquired Merai.

"They're a little bit like Mutants, only they're all cat-like men and women," explained Slithe, "And they have a more human-like appearance than Mutants, too. They have such fabulously despicable weapons they never lose, like Lord Lion-O's Sword of Omens with the Eye of Thundera, and they can do stunts and deadly attack moves to rival those of the Jedi!"

"Maybe they can feel the Force that the Jedi can use," suggested Merai.

Slithe shook his head. "No, so far as I know, the ThunderCats have no connection to the mysterious Force that Count Dooku speaks of. Their physical abilities are natural to their species."

Merai looked impressed, but also a bit unsettled. Slithe liked seeing that in an ally when talking about the ThunderCats. "No wonder they joined the Republic's side, then. They must have some sort of kinship with the Jedi Order, though I don't know why they would also serve a corrupt Galactic Senate."

"Me neither," said Slithe, "Especially with the ThunderCats' honorable Code of Thundera, and all its talk about justice, truth, honor, and loyalty."

"Well, I think it's time they learn that other people besides themselves can have those traits, also," said Merai. He smiled.

To Slithe's surprise, he smiled back, and it wasn't a mocking smile.

Some explosions rocked the large ship. A Mon Cal officer was tossed about.

"Commander Merai, we're losing this one!" said another officer. "We must retreat! We haven't got a limitless supply of droids – or men!"

"We've more droids and more Reptilian soldiers than they have Jedi!" Slithe suddenly shouted. "Two of their aces just hit the water at once! I want five Reptilians to get into their NoseDivers and submerge. Flank them with ten droid fighters on either side!"

"He's right, men," said Merai, "We can't just let ourselves lose! I want five amphibious fighters to supplement the Reptilians' NoseDivers underwater. And start hitting those Jedi Starfighters harder – make them think _they're_ our focus." Merai turned to Slithe and said, "You certainly are an effective commander yourself, Slithe. The Federation's forces are suffering – our bankroll, too. If we don't shut down Kamino, the Republic will have a limitless supply of troops. We've no choice but victory, men!"

Merai ordered a Mon Cal officer to access a certain file, because it had coordinates to feed to the NoseDivers and the amphibs and their droid escorts. "Put their point visuals on our main screen. This is our ace in the hole, gentlemen, our assured victory."

"We're hitting surf, commander – but we've got company!" an officer reported. Jedi Starfighters were blasting apart the Vulture Droids and amphib fighters, and Slithe thought he saw the ThunderCat vehicle, the Whisker, blast several NoseDivers out of the sky.

"Every one of them…the Jedi must've sensed what they were doing…" Merai breathed.

Slithe glared out the viewport. "The ThunderCats have always had a disgusting knack for being in the right place at the right time," he observed.

Suddenly, Merai stood up and walked out of the room. "Feed those coordinates to the _Shark_. I'll take it down myself," he said as he left.

Slithe got up and followed him. "You're not going anywhere without me, Commander," he said with an enthusiasm that surprised even him, "I'm going with you."

"Come along then," said Merai, "I could use an extra hand in case there's trouble waiting below the surface of the waters."

Slithe got into his private NoseDiver, and Merai took off in his personal amphibious starfighter, the _Shark_. Together, they flew down towards the ocean near Tipoca City, the cloning facility of the clone army.

"What are they thinking, defending a water world with ships that can't submerge?" Merai wondered out loud.

"Beats me," said Slithe, "Maybe the Kaminoans or the Jedi are a lot stupider than the ThunderCats."

"And now the big payoff," announced Merai, "Care of our anonymous informant."

They "flew" down to the exact coordinates of the shield generator, only to discover that there was nothing there at the spot where Merai's shipboard computer said the generator would be.

"Wait a minute. What's this?" Slithe demanded to know, as confused as Merai by this sudden change of fortune. "Why isn't there a generator here?"

"Merai to core ship…the Kaminoans tricked us!" Merai reported to his men.

"Or maybe the ThunderCats tricked us!" suggested Slithe, "Although it isn't like them to deceive their enemies."

"Commander?!" said a Mon Cal officer.

"Unless…" Merai started to say. He piloted the _Shark_ back above the water, telling Slithe to do the same with the NoseDiver. "There is no power source down there. I'm going to try to blast through the shield myself. Slithe, how powerful is that laser drill on your vehicle?"

"It can do some pretty good damage," said Slithe, "But it isn't designed for cutting through deflector shields."

"In that case," said Merai, "Cover me, Slithe. I think my ships's blasters can penetrate the shield on their own."

"Commander!" they both heard the Mon Cal officers shout over the intercom, "Your power is compromised! The _Shark_ can't change environs so quickly! Let us pull the two of you back up into the core ship with our tractor beams!"

"Negative, officer," Merai replied, "You have to save your energy to maintain the battle. Keep the droids fighting, and ready the remaining amphib squads. When Slithe and I get us an opening, you get in there!"

But Jedi Starfighters were already ganging up on Merai and the _Shark_. They fired at the ship, compromising its existence even worse. The Whisker also tailed Slithe, and a laser blast from it grazed the NoseDiver. Both vehicles almost crashed into the water.

Up above, in the _Lucrehulk_ battleship, a Mon Cal said, "The commander's ship is damaged! And so is General Slithe's NoseDiver!"

A Reptilian solider stepped up and said, "Don't count them out yet. It wasn't meant to end like this."

"Men, I want you to retreat," Merai suddenly ordered them. "And I want you to retreat too, Slithe."

"What? You can't be serious, Merai!" Slithe exclaimed.

"I am serious, Slithe," said Merai, "Men, you need to help me send the _Shark_ straight up – I'll steer, while you boost my jets with the core ship's tractor beams. And Slithe, go straight back to the core ship, now."

"But Merai," protested Slithe, "What do you have in mind? You can't possibly be thinking of _sacrificing_ yourself for this cause!"

"Sacrifice is sometimes necessary to further a cause higher than yourself, Slithe," said Merai, "I'm surprised you didn't know this before."

"But the Confederacy needs you, Merai," said Slithe desperately, "_I_ need you! You're so much a better military commander than so many others I've associated with!"

"I know I'm a good commander, Slithe," said Merai, "And I know you and the Confederacy will miss my talents. But many other people also fight for the Separatists, and some of them are as much geniuses as I am. And besides, I want you to live to fight another day. I want you, your Reptilian men, and my own men to live to fight another day. You said yourself you've suffered many defeats in the past, while I've had many triumphs in my career. At least _I'll_ die feeling like I've lived a full life, even with this failed mission. I can't let that happen to someone like you, who has suffered in silence so long! I'm sure the Confederacy will win in the end."

Slithe couldn't believe what he had just heard. Merai actually admired him, actually _cared_ about him, and he wanted Slithe to live to defeat the Republic, even if it meant losing his own life as a result. The Reptilian Mutant had never encountered such loyalty before in his life. If Slithe were less proud, he almost would have wept at hearing this.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine, Slithe," Merai said, "Nothing truly dies in this galaxy. We all have a journey to continue after we pass away. Now go. GO!"

As Slithe reluctantly retreated to the core ship, Merai asked his men if they had heard his orders, and to wait just long enough for Slithe to get back inside.

"Y-yes, sir," said an officer, "But we won't be able to coordinate the droid attacks-"

"The droids need to be withdrawn," Merai said. "They're needed elsewhere. The amphibious squads, too – for battles where you stand a chance."

"But sir, if-if we do that, half of the ships may be picked off by the Republic forces. The Jedi might even follow us back to the base."

"Evade their shots as best you can," Merai ordered, "I'll make sure the Jedi don't follow you. Is Slithe safely back in the core ship with you?"

"Yes sir, just barely," said a Reptilian, "That ThunderCat ship, the Whisker, almost clipped his engines, but he made it just in time."

"Good," said Merai, "Now give me that boost!"

The _Lucrehulk_ core ship boosted the _Shark_ into outer space. Merai piloted his fighter toward the hyperspace rings the Jedi Starfighters used to jump through hyperspace while the core ship collected all the remaining Vulture Droids and NoseDivers.

"The last ships are docking!" a Mon Cal said loudly. "Prepare for hyperspace! What?! Commander Merai, you've hit your ships's self-destruct-"

"Never mind that – make the jump! Get to safety!" Merai shouted his last command.

The Jedi and the ThunderCat flying the Whisker sensed that Merai's _Shark_ was going to blow up in the hyperspace rings, and pulled up. The _Shark_ flew into the mass of rings, and…BOOM!

Commander Merai was no more, and the Jedi couldn't follow the core ship as it escaped to hyperspace.

* * *

_The Confederacy needs you, Merai. I need you! You're so much a better military commander than so many others I've associated with!_

Slithe was dwelling on these last words he had said to his first true friend in the C.I.S. _A friend?_ He couldn't believe he just said that. Mutants didn't have friends, just cronies. And he had been shocked at Merai's heroic sacrifice just as much as Merai's Mon Calamari men had been. He actually stated implicitly that he didn't want Merai to die, and Merai had replied by saying that he wanted Slithe to live.

"What is the matter with me?" he wondered, "I'm a Reptile. I'm not supposed to have strong feelings like this. And yet, Merai not only fought like a true warrior, but he also had the idealism so many Mutants don't possess, the idealism to help other people in the galaxy besides himself. He was much more of a patriot than those cowardly Separatist Councilors ever will be." And as he thought about this, the Mutant felt as if he was slowly developing something Reptilians should be devoid of: empathy, empathy and sympathy for that brave amphibious soldier who bravely died within that cluster of hyperspace rings, of course.

"Maybe this Confederacy of Independent Systems is worth more than just making lazy people rich and powerful," he mused, "And if I'm right, then Commander Merai truly is a hero of the Confederacy, something the Mutants should strive for, as well."

He sat back in his chair and he never stopped thinking about that goggle-eyed commander all the way back to base.


	4. A Vulture's Gallery

**A/N: **Part of this chapter is totally original material, while the rest of it is very closely based on _**Rogue's Gallery**_, a _Clone Wars Adventures_ comic in _Clone Wars Adventures Vol. 3_. In it, Asajj Ventress, Durge, and General Grievous are introduced.

* * *

_**A Vulture's Gallery**_

Vultureman stood in a Separatist droid factory on Metalorn, a planet presently controlled by the Confederacy, with his fellow Mutants, and Foreman Wat Tambor of the Techno Union. Poggle the Lesser had also just joined them. The Vulture Mutant had been observing the B1 and B2 battle droids as they were moved on conveyor belts to be constructed, programmed, and armed. They numbered in the hundreds of thousands in this one droid factory alone, and yet, Vultureman was not awed, despite all attempts by Tambor and Poggle to make him feel that way.

"Caw! Tell me, Foreman Tambor, is this really the best you, Poggle and Gunray can do? I mean, with droids as weak and stupid as these, you're never going to defeat organic soldiers in the long run. Living things can think creatively, even in combat. Machines can't. I should know, because I've imagined plenty of useful tools and weapons to use against the ThunderCats over the past year," said Vultureman.

He half expected Slithe to make some snide remark at that moment, but the Reptilian seemed unusually quiet at the moment, only speaking when ordering Monkian and Jackalman to leave him alone.

"It's all due to the financial costs of supporting this war, Vultureman," Tambor explained, "B1 battle droids and B2 super battle droids are simple, cheap, and fast to build, and their cheap cost helps the Techno Union, the Trade Federation, and the other Commerce Guilds stay rich and powerful while the droids fight to destroy the Republic. We simply cannot afford to make massive numbers of bigger or smarter droids to support the Separatist cause."

Vultureman frowned. "But that's not right, Wat! You'll become plenty rich after we win this war, and so will all your business associates! But you should be thinking about making soldiers that are a match, or better yet, _more_ than a match, for the clone troopers, not to mention the Jedi and those blasted ThunderCats! I know, because I'm _not_ a businessman. I'm an inventor, a chemist, and a scientist, and I invent weapons and other tools to use against those who claim to do such 'good deeds.' And I'm telling you, I can help you, Poggle, and Gunray make better droids and better weapons for the Separatist Droid Army. Cawww!"

Poggle looked at him and asked in Geonosian exactly what Vultureman could make to supplement the regular battle droids. He also reminded the Mutant that the Federation and the Techno Union had almost finished developing the huge B3 ultra battle droid, which would be even more formidable than the B2 super battle droid.

Vultureman laughed. "It's very simple, really. You've already shown me that there are elite clone troopers on the Republic's side called ARC troopers and Republic commandos, with deadly abilities put to use for especially tough assignments. One thing we could use is our own commando droids. They should be formidable fighters, with the ability to fire blasters accurately, unlike those stupid B1's, and maybe also to wield a sword with deadly speed and accuracy. They could also be useful against ThunderCats, especially if they can do their own stunts and leaping about, and they would definitely need better armor than those spindly weaklings."

Poggle looked at Tambor. "That is…" Tambor had to readjust his vocabulator again for a second, "…That is an interesting idea, bird-man. We _could_ use droids that can stand up to these ThunderCats you've been fighting for so long. Of course, it would be quite _expensive_ to produce such a long line of droids, even for you."

Vultureman rolled his eyes at Tambor's avarice. "Unlike some other Plun-Darrian warriors, Foreman, I am not a mercenary. I will gladly do it for nothing. All I need are some paper and pens for blueprints, and some factories to cater to making these commando droids."

Tambor thought about it for a moment. "So there's no catch, then?"

"No catch," Vultureman confirmed, "I just want to play my part in supporting the Separatist Alliance. Cawww!"

"Then as far as I'm concerned, it's a deal," said Tambor, shaking Vultureman's hand. "What do you say, Poggle? Are you willing to help Vultureman here set up some factories for commando droid construction?"

Poggle said, "As long as Count Dooku is all right with it, so am I."

"I believe I just heard someone talking about weapons, and someone else mentioned my name," said a familiar old man's voice.

Monkian and Jackalman looked nervous as Count Dooku walked into the room, followed by the Lunataks. "Did I hear correctly, that Vultureman the Mutant wishes to improve on my weapons in the Separatist Droid Army?"

"Uh, uh, yes, illustrious Count," said Vultureman, bowing hurriedly, "I, uh, was just talking with Foreman Tambor and Poggle about how the droid army could use better droids with better weapons, and how I can provide you with those droids at no charge."

"Yes, I overheard part of what you were saying," said Dooku, "It is surely an interesting concept, making commando droids to help counter the offenses of the Republic commandos and ARC troopers. And I think that I, too, will accept your offer, Vultureman. The Confederacy will need an edge if it is to outwit, as well as outgun, the Republic forces. Poggle, give the Vulture a datapad so he can go to work with Foreman Tambor at once!"

Poggle complied immediately. Dooku asked Vultureman, "Are there any other brilliant ideas you have for supporting the droid army, Vultureman?"

"Actually, there is one other idea I had," Vultureman said boldly, "You've shown me a roster of many of your organic Separatist military commanders, and while some of them truly look impressive, I think the army needs the genius, and the loyalty, of programmed Separatist commanders, ones that will commit to the mission at hand without fleeing at the first sight of battle, and perhaps even have a few traces of a personality to give an edge to their sinister management of command. It's my idea that they could be known as tactical droids."

Dooku looked at the Mutant with surprising respect. "I never dreamed a half-man, half-bird of prey would be the one to give such fascinating ideas of technology to support the C.I.S. Armed Forces. Vultureman, you will soon be promoted to becoming a Separatist commander yourself. The Confederacy needs more genius minds like yours!"

Monkian and Jackalman stared in bemusement. After a moment, so did Slithe. Even Ratar-O and the Lunataks couldn't believe it. This weak fighter, with so many faulty past inventions, was going to be promoted to the rank of commander, already? And what if his new droids didn't work? That would be poor, incompetent Vultureman all over again.

But what kept the other Mutants and the Lunataks from jeering at Vultureman was Count Dooku's evident respect for him. The Confederate leader apparently saw some real genius in the birdman, and wanted him to have a special spot in the army's ranks. And they already knew that Dooku was a man who always knew what he was doing.

"I am honored, Count Dooku," Vultureman said, almost stammered, "Deeply honored."

"Hmm! Honored, indeed!" Jackalman snorted. Slithe shushed him.

"But I am here for more than simply to congratulate one of the Mutants," said Dooku, "Mutants, Lunataks, follow me. You too, Vultureman. Tambor, Poggle, you two get back to work. This doesn't concern you, yet."

* * *

He led them all to his Solar Sailer, and gave them a ride to a Separatist command ship. On board, there were many trophies Dooku had collected over the years in a very large room, while in other rooms scientific experiments of a most slimy nature were taking place. But Dooku was bringing them there to introduce them to some people, not to show off the trophies or the experiments. He led them into the ship's control room where two intimidating, imposing figures stood. One was a huge man dressed from head to toe in ancient body armor and a helmet. The other was a scary-looking woman with two curved-hilted lightsabers at her belt, like Dooku's own curved-hilted lightsaber. Even Luna and Amok felt uncomfortable under her watchful gaze. Chilla wondered if the woman was already too cold for her ice to have any effect on her.

"If I may be so bold, my master," said the woman coldly, "who are these odd creatures you have brought before my presence? They don't look like the sorts of people who would be a challenge for me."

"Yes," said the other guy in a metallic voice, "Even that big muscle-bound beast looks weak enough that I could snap it in two with no problem."

Amok growled as boldly as he dared. Luna yelled, "Don't talk that way about Amok, armored fool!"

"No arguments!" Dooku commanded, "We are here for introductions, and something else. Mutants, Lunataks, allow me to introduce Durge, an ancient, near-indestructible bounty hunter with a thirst for the blood of Mandalorians and Jedi, and Asajj Ventress, my personal apprentice, and my favorite Dark Acolyte in the Confederacy. Like me, she is well trained in the dark side of the Force. Ventress, Durge," and here he introduced each of the Mutants and Lunataks to the sinister warriors. Ventress and Durge looked less than impressed when they heard that these creatures were going to serve in the droid army, not to mention when they heard that Vultureman was being ranked as a Separatist commander on their level.

"The leadership of the Confederacy is going to the birds?!" Durge exclaimed. "Great. Next we'll probably be having monkeys, rodents and bouncing dwarves as all our foot soldiers!"

"I will not be partnered with a half-man, half-bird scavenger, master!" Ventress said defiantly.

"You will do as I say, my apprentice!" said Dooku sternly. "My authority in the C.I.S. is higher than yours, always. Do not soon forget it." He said this last in a quiet, menacing tone.

Ventress glared at Vultureman, but submitted and said, "As you wish, my master."

"Now," said Dooku, "I have become aware that there is something, or someone, on the loose in this ship. He must be stopped at all costs. He is quite dangerous, I sense, and I will need the teamwork of Ventress, Durge, a Mutant, and a Lunatak to catch him. Let's see," he looked over the Plun-Darrians, "Red Eye looks like the strongest and deadliest of the Lunataks, and Ratar-O has splendid destructive powers with his Rat's Eye. They will go and help my apprentice and her partner."

Monkian and Jackalman were relieved it wasn't them. Vultureman wanted to know why he couldn't go.

"You are my newest asset, Vultureman," said Dooku, "In case something goes wrong, I can least afford to lose you out of everyone here."

"Oh, all right, if you put it that way," said Vultureman.

Luna shook her head. "I'm in charge of the Lunataks," she said in her high-pitched voice, _"I _should choose who goes and who doesn't!"

"Peace!" said Dooku, "These arguments are only wasting valuable time! That intruder must be stopped as soon as possible. Those are my orders!"

Finally, Ventress, Durge, and their partners from Plun-Darr consented to go to the back of the ship and search out this monster.

Ventress had been walking through the corridors of the ship for several minutes, and still she had found nothing. "Master, I'm still not sensing anyone. Perhaps the security sensors are malfunctioning."

"No. I told you, someone is aboard this station," said Dooku through her comlink, "Continue your search on the next level. The same goes for you, Ratar-O."

"As you wish, master," said Ventress. "We are moving into the trophy room."

"Durge, Red Eye, where are you?" Ratar-O hissed into his own comlink.

"Just hit the gallery and moving your way," said Red Eye, "If there's anyone in here, we'll trap him between us."

"But I still think this is a waste of-" Durge started to say.

Something sharp and electric poked Durge in the back. Red Eye turned as fast as he could, but not quite fast enough. He, too, got jabbed by the electrostaff. They both fell on the floor.

Some weird person, or creature, stood over them and said, _"Pathetic."_ Then he grabbed both Durge and the Lunatak, and threw them, very hard, across the room. Their bodies smashed through several trophies and other various items, including a large bust of Count Dooku and a crystal ball.

Ventress and Ratar-O soon caught up and asked them, "Well? Who was it?"

Durge grunted. Red Eye muttered, "I…don't know."

"No matter," Ventress said, igniting her twin, red lightsabers and leaping into action. Ratar-O quickly followed with his Rat's Eye daggers.

"Now, where are you?" Ventress demanded to know as she leaped on top of a fake flying reptile. She heard Ratar-O cry out in pain below. She looked around with the speed of a bird, but she too was caught by surprise. Something poked her in the back of the head, and she fell off the reptile dummy. Durge flew in on his jetpack and saved her from crashing on the floor. Ratar-O and Red Eye soon caught up to them.

"He's fast, I'll give him that," said Red Eye sarcastically.

"He's gone again," Ventress said. "Stay close." They ran in the direction they thought the thing had gone.

"Who do you think this is? A renegade Jedi?" Durge wanted to know.

"No. Something more dangerous," Ventress said.

"Maybe it's one of those accursed ThunderCats!" suggested Ratar-O.

"What's a ThunderCat?" Durge demanded.

"Never mind that now!" Ventress interrupted, "We need to find this maniac!" Then they all stopped as they suddenly found themselves face-to-face with their foe. He was mostly machine, a dull off-white color on his exoskeleton, and he was evidently an alien. Ventress and Durge knew, and Ratar-O and Red Eye would later learn, that he was a Kaleesh from the planet Kalee. But it didn't make sense for any organism to be part organic, part machine.

"You have no idea," the creature said in a malicious voice. He was wielding an electrostaff.

All five of them leapt into action.

Ventress swung her lightsabers with the skill of a dark sider. Durge wielded electric bolos. Ratar-O warmed up the Rat's Eye. Red Eye readied his chest disk. And Grievous stood there, seemingly ready for any and all attacks.

Ventress was knocked into a wall of glass, but Durge's bolos gave Grievous an electric shock. The Rat's Eye sizzled the alien's exoskeleton. Ventress recovered and slashed her blades down Grievous' cloak. "Pucker up, rust gut!" said Red Eye, shooting fire at Grievous and subsequently punching him in the metal masked face. Grievous knocked over another bust of Dooku and sank to the floor. Durge pulled out his twin blasters, and the four commanders charged Grievous.

But then Grievous suddenly ignited two lightsabers of his own. He slashed them through Durge's torso, and then neatly decapitated Durge. The bounty hunter's helmeted head bounced on the floor. "Ouch!" it said. Red Eye stared in disbelief. How could Durge still be alive if his torso was ripped open and his head cut off? But thinking about Durge was a mistake. Grievous closed the space between him and Red Eye and gave him a vicious kick, throwing the huge Lunatak into a wall and stunning him for a while.

Ventress viciously fought the Kaleesh cyborg with some aid from Ratar-O. She kept screaming, "Who are you?! Who are you!?"

Grievous suddenly lashed out and hit Ratar-O on the jaw with one hand, almost breaking his neck and knocking him out, while his other hand lashed out and grabbed Ventress by her own neck.

"Who am I?" he said. "I am the _future!" _He started to choke her.

Ventress struggled, but to no avail.

"Such a small thing," Grievous said callously as he continued to choke her. "Such a small and fragile thing." Finally, after Ventress passed out, Grievous stopped choking her.

* * *

The other Mutants and Lunataks had seen the whole thing with Dooku. Needless to say, all of them, even Vultureman, Luna and Amok, were frightened out of their wits at this cybernetic monster that had just defeated two of their strongest. They all trembled as Grievous entered the control room, dragging the bodies of his defeated foes.

"I'll admit, I did not think you would prevail," said Dooku to Grievous.

Grievous looked menacingly at the other Mutants and Lunataks and enjoyed their fearful looks. "Victory was never in doubt. Now, can I jettison the bodies?"

"What?" cried Luna and Slithe at the same time, both surprised by their own concern for their own cronies.

"No," said Dooku, "Both have endured worse in the past. And they are loyal servants. As for the Mutant and the Lunatak, they are new servants, and they want to contribute something to the Confederacy as much as you do. Put them all in the bacta tanks. They will recover."

"I trust I passed your test?" asked Grievous.

"Yes, I am quite impressed," said Dooku, "The droid army is yours to command, General Grievous. But remember that you are under my command."

The Mutants and Lunataks looked at each other with trepidation. Dooku was testing _this guy_ all along, not them, nor that Dark Acolyte and bounty hunter. And Grievous was going to be the Supreme Commander of the Droid Armies? It brought them no comfort, to say the least, serving under a brute like this.

Suddenly, serving the Confederacy of Independent Systems became a bit more precarious.

"Together, we will bring the Republic to its knees!" said Dooku to all of them, but most of all to General Grievous.


	5. The New Face of War

**A/N:** The material in this chapter applies to the story told in the _Star Wars: Republic_ comics, **The New Face of War** and **Blast Radius**, two old _Clone Wars_ comics. But this being the Plun-Darr story, it is told from the point of view of the Mutants, the Lunataks, and their new allies, Durge and Asajj Ventress, evidently. The Jedi and ThunderCats are in it, too, but their interactions are shown from the Separatists' perspective.

* * *

_**The New Face of War**_

In a laboratory somewhere in the galaxy, Vultureman was working on mixing and boiling some chemicals while Count Dooku and some of their comrades watched.

"Are you certain this virus will work the way I told you to make it work?" Dooku asked the Mutant.

"Caw! No problem, illustrious Count!" Vultureman replied, "I'm a trained chemist, and while I've never actually created a virus before, I assure you, this one will work just the way it's supposed to."

"Good," said Dooku, "Because I intend to use it for the Separatist Alliance's full advantage in this stage of the war. With enemy troops unable to live through our biochemical warfare while our own troops remain unaffected by the same weapons, the Republic will succumb most easily to the might of the droid army, and after the failure at Kamino, this should make up for that loss."

Vultureman laughed. "That will be no problem, Count Dooku," he said, "I have already put this virus to the test by installing it within swamp gas on Ohma D'un, one of the moons of Naboo, which was recently colonized by a bunch of those ridiculous Gungans. Long story short, it works already."

"Well, why didn't you just say so, Vultureman?" asked Luna, "You made it sound like it hadn't been tested yet!"

"Aw, relax, Luna," said an annoyed Vultureman, "I was getting around to that. I didn't need for you to comment on it!"

"Ah, forget it, Luna!" said Tug Mug, "You can't make common sense out of a Mutant any day! They have too much of the wild animal left in them!"

"Enough!" snapped Dooku, "If you people wish to waste time arguing, you can go back to Third Earth and do it. But right now, we have work to do. I have foreseen that the Jedi and the clones, along with a few of the ThunderCats, will be intervening on the situation on Ohma D'un. Durge and Ventress will lead a surprise ambush on them, accompanied by Tug Mug, Red Eye, and Chilla of the Lunataks, and by Slithe and Monkian of the Mutants. Reptiles are in their element in the swamps of the Naboo system, and to some extent, so are monkeys."

"I don't need some raggedy shadows following me, master," said Ventress from behind him.

"Nor do I," said Durge in his menacing voice, "I don't see why we have to put up with strangers-"

"Stop!" Dooku snapped again. "These warriors of Plun-Darr are our allies now, just as much as the two of you are. They _will _assist you in fighting your foes. After all, the Mutants and the Lunataks know the ThunderCats, the new allies of the Jedi, better than either of you do, and evidently, the ThunderCats use weapons that are connected to another power besides the Force. Slithe and Luna have told me about the Eye of Thundera, after all."

Ventress sighed audibly. "Very well, my master," she said, "As long as they do not get in my way, I'll tolerate their presence."

"And I'll tolerate them, too," said Durge, "no matter how reluctantly, _if_ I'm allowed to kill those scoundrel Jedi on Ohma D'un, especially without their help."

"We are a team, Durge," said Dooku, "We work together to defeat our foes. Yes, you will be allowed to kill some Jedi, but if the Mutants or the Lunataks want to help you, or to do it for you, that's their call."

Durge grunted in disgust, but he knew a lost cause when he saw it, and conceded to Dooku's wishes.

"I still wish my team would learn to work together for once," said Luna moodily.

"Same here," said Slithe, "My men have betrayed me _and_ each other time and time again!"

"I assure you, that will not happen in the Confederacy, Slithe," said Dooku, "For I do not take kindly to treachery, and am slow to forgive those who do betray me. Now, Vultureman, is the swamp gas ready for the Republic assault on Ohma D'un?"

"Haw, haw, haw! Indeed it is, Count," he said, "Even the ThunderCats and their Jedi pals will be no match for this weapon!"

"Then it is settled," said Dooku. "In four hours, Durge and Ventress' group will depart for Ohma D'un. Prepare yourselves for a hard battle, everyone."

"I've been prepared since before it even started!" said Ventress.

"So have I," said Durge.

A chorus of agreement rose from the Mutants and the Lunataks.

* * *

On Ohma D'un, the Separatists watched from a distance, concealed in the smog, as a Republic gunship touched down nearby. Out of the gunship came an ARC trooper captain and several clone troopers, along with ThunderCats Lion-O, Panthro, and Tygra, Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Glaive, and Padawans Anakin Skywalker and Zule.

"Hmm, not as many clones as I thought," said Slithe, "And only one especially dangerous ThunderCat in Lion-O. This should be easy, yessss?"

"Just remember," said Durge with a growl, "The Jedi are mine."

"And mine when my turn comes to join the show," said Ventress over Durge's comlink.

"Teamwork, Durge, remember?" growled Red Eye.

"Whatever," said Durge, "Just stay out of my way, or I can make you pay as dearly as our enemies."

"Ssssilence, bounty hunter!" said Chilla, also over the comlink, "Or I can make things equally uncomfortable for you when we're through!"

"Oh, you scare me, ice queen," Durge said with mock-sarcasm, "Like your ice cubes could really hold someone as strong as me!"

"Enough!" hissed Slithe quietly, "Here they come."

The ThunderCats and the Jedi stared in understandable shock at all the poor Gungans that had been struck down by Vultureman's hideous swamp gas virus. Anakin Skywalker leapt in and attacked all the droids that were inspecting the corpses, slicing them into pieces. Soon, the other Jedi and clones joined him. Tygra, Panthro, and Lion-O attacked with their own weapons, the Sword of Omens doing the most damage evidently.

They were saying something about how this couldn't be the work of spice miners, and that a madman did this. Slithe thought to himself, _"That sure isn't untrue. Vultureman always has been a mad bird-beak."_ But then, Durge suddenly turned on his jetpack and flew in, ready to attack the Jedi. He twirled his heavy bolos and pounded Obi-Wan on the side of his head with them, shoving him to the filthy swamp water, face down.

"So much for attacking in force," said Slithe disappointedly, and he and the others leapt in to attack.

"Slithe!" exclaimed Tygra.

"And the Lunataks!" said Panthro.

"And who's that?" Lion-O asked, staring at the huge, hulking bounty hunter called Durge.

"You know, it's been over a century since I killed a Jedi," Durge said proudly, his foot on Obi-Wan's head, "And today, I get to kill four of you! Add to that the Gungans Vultureman and I already murdered, the hostages I'm going to kill later, and all the Naboo I'll kill tomorrow, not to mention these creatures called ThunderCats, and it's a damn good week."

"Get away from him!" yelled Anakin, Force pushing Durge off of Obi-Wan.

"A hundred years, and you still haven't learned any new Jedi tricks," Durge mocked him, and threw his bolos at Anakin. They curled around Anakin's neck and gave him an electric shock.

"Stop that!" Lion-O shouted. He raised the Sword of Omens and said, "HO!" The Eye of Thundera shot a concentrated bolt of lightning at Durge's chest armor. To Lion-O's disbelief, though, the blast didn't seem to faze Durge at all.

"Now that's more like it," Durge said with mock-appreciation, "But it'll take more than a magical sword and the Force allied together to take me down!"

"Sithspawn, he's fast!" Zule said to her master.

"I'll say," said Glaive, "Now keep your distance, Padawan." He moved to attack Durge.

But somehow the bounty hunter was faster than he was shoving him away by pushing him in the face.

"I hope this hurts," Zule said, stabbing Durge with her lightsaber.

"Like that's never happened to me before," said Durge, knocking her away. "Now, where are your pet clones?"

"You're not having all the fun, Durge," said Tug Mug, "I'm getting in on this, too."

"And so am I," said Red Eye.

"Suit yourselves," said Durge, "Just remember to stay out of my way!"

"The 'pet clones' are getting the drop on you," said the ARC trooper, shooting Durge through his armor.

Durge clutched his head for a second. "For that, I'm going to rip your head off and carbon flush down your throat," he threatened the trooper.

"You're tough and nasty, I'll give you that," said Glaive, who hit Durge hard with his big fists. "But so am I."

The ARC trooper checked out Obi-Wan, who was recovering as best he could from his head injury. Apparently, Durge had cracked his skull in one place. But before they could rejoin the fight, Tug Mug closed in on them.

"Light-headed, Jedi?" he taunted him. "Don't worry, I'll make it a little more naturally heavy for you." He raised the gravity carbine and fired. Soon, Obi-Wan found it very difficult to stand up straight, because his body seemed to weigh as much as a small boulder.

"Can you help me here, trooper?" Obi-Wan asked awkwardly.

"I don't know what you just did to the General," said the ARC trooper, "But you're not going to do it to me." He aimed his DC-15S blaster carbine at the gravity carbine.

But Tug Mug surprised the clone by hopping very high in the air, faster than he could shoot the gravity carbine, and got away.

"Now what?" the clone asked the Jedi Master.

"I guess I'll just have to fight as best I can with a splitting headache and legs that feel like lead," Obi-Wan shrugged.

"You should wear a helmet next time," said the ARC, pointing to his helmet.

"Just help me find Anakin," said Obi-Wan, who wasn't in the mood for banter.

Durge was finding Glaive's attacks to be getting boring, and was calling in droid reinforcements. Slithe called in for some Reptilian reinforcements, himself, and to bring the swamp gas. Soon the droids and many Reptilian Mutants were on the scene, making the fight even more difficult.

Anakin wanted to evacuate Theed, the capital city of Naboo, and possibly the whole planet, as the swamp gas started to pour onto the battlefield, and so did the ARC, who was rapidly losing his men. But Obi-Wan had heard Durge talking about keeping hostages, and wanted the two of them to look for and rescue them. They were hesitant at first, but Obi-Wan said it was an order.

"I agree with Obi-Wan," said Lion-O, "It's _very_ important to rescue innocents from a cruel fate, Anakin. If we don't we're not only sacrificing their lives unnecessarily, but we're compromising our principles as peacekeepers. Besides, I don't think the gas will spread to the surface of Naboo quite that quickly. We still have some time before that happens to find an antidote to this virus Vultureman apparently invented."

Anakin and the ARC finally agreed to this, and were on their way to find out what was going on and save the hostages.

Except for Anakin and Panthro, who had just left with the ARC trooper, the Jedi and the ThunderCats were starting to develop hideous, sickly bumps on their skin from the effects of the gas, similar to those on the Gungan corpses. But Slithe, Durge, and the Lunataks seemed to be unaffected by it. This concerned and upset Lion-O greatly, thinking how the Mutants could sink low enough to create a virus that could slowly kill their enemies, and yet have no effect on themselves at all.

Glaive was shouting instructions to his Padawan, when he suddenly saw that Durge was holding her by her hair, and Red Eye held his flame discus in one hand, ready to zap Zule with it if necessary.

"You're too late!" Durge mocked again. "The swamp gas killed the Gungans in mere seconds, but I guess it takes a lot longer on other species, including the ThunderCats. But now, even the Force won't save her."

Glaive waved a hand in front of Durge and Red Eye's faces and said, "You _will_ let her go."

Red Eye glared. "Jedi mind control? Now I've seen everything! You self-righteous Jedi actually control minds with your powers? Well, it won't work on a Lunatak like me, I assure you! The Lunataks have minds too powerful to be affected by anybody's mind control abilities, even those of the demon priest, Mumm-Ra. Except that dimwit Amok, maybe."

Glaive started in surprise.

"And you think a mind trick will work on me, too?" scoffed Durge, "I come down here and stomp some Jedi, and you think I'm some weak-minded thug?"

Obi-Wan and Lion-O swung their respective blades at Durge from behind. Red Eye and the bounty hunter simply sidestepped the attack, tossing Zule aside.

"Nice try, but I'm a walking nerve cluster," said Durge, with surprising sincerity. "I can hear your heartbeat from two hundred meters away. You can't sneak up on me!"

"And remember my eyes?" said Red Eye, pointing to his face, "My vision is so perfect I can see things out of the back of my head, you know!"

"Face it, cretins," said Slithe, "You're all outmatched! Yessss?"

The Jedi were starting to lose some strength, as were Lion-O and Tygra, and Tygra said as much to his lord. Not only were Durge and the swamp gas overwhelming them, but the blasters of the gas-resistant Reptilians and super battle droids was getting more intense. Lion-O and Obi-Wan replied that they just had to stop the droids' and Reptilians' leaders, and they would become disoriented.

Durge laughed and said, "Ha! You think _I'm_ the one in charge here?"

"What's he babbling about-?" Glaive started to ask. Then a red lightsaber swung in from out of nowhere and decapitated him. Obi-Wan shouted his name. Lion-O and Tygra were shocked to see a Jedi so senselessly slaughtered.

"May the Force be with you, meatbag," said Durge to Glaive's slack body. He was now standing beside Chilla the Lunatak, and a mysterious young woman with a shaven head, dressed in dark clothes and a cloak, and carrying two Sith lightsabers.

* * *

Some ways away, Anakin, Panthro, and the ARC trooper found themselves fighting a bunch of Monkians and more battle droids. The Monkian who was their leader, the same Monkian who always worked with Slithe, obviously, watched from a safe vantage point, observing the battle. It made him nervous to see what sort of tricks Skywalker could do with the Force, and what the ARC could do with his training. He had already had enough problems with the tricks and talents of the ThunderCats, and he didn't need thousands of Jedi and millions of clone troopers troubling him even further.

At one point, Monkian heard Skywalker start calling the ARC trooper "Alpha," as if he was giving the clone a name. _"Hoo, hoo, hoo! Great,"_ thought Monkian. _"Now the Jedi are adopting their clones as their pet dogs and cats. What comes next? Are Dooku and General Grievous going to demand that we give quintillions of names to all our battle droids? Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo!"_

Suddenly, Panthro spotted Monkian standing up there, and leapt up to meet him in combat. Monkian recoiled, but prepared himself to fight.

"So you're presiding over this travesty too, huh, Monkian?" Panthro said disapprovingly. "You know, it's a disgrace to have a direct connection with the massacre of millions of innocent beings." He swung his nun-chucks around in the air.

"Hoo, hoo!" said Monkian, "Don't look at me, Panthro! Vultureman created this virus. I'm just supplementing Durge and Asajj Ventress' forces here on Ohma D'un, along with my Monkian tribe, of course. Hoo, hoo, hoo!"

Anakin suddenly joined them. "I don't care what role you're playing in this, you semi-evolved simian," he stated, "You're going down like the rest of these monkeys!"

"Hoo, hoo! I've seen how lightsabers can deflect blaster bolts," said Monkian, "But let's see them deflect a cannonball!" He raised his Monkey Shield and shot a cannonball out of its mouth.

Anakin was surprised to see such a weapon fire out of a shield, but Panthro was used to this, and disintegrated the cannonball with a laser from his nun-chucks. Frustrated, Monkian fired some more cannonballs, all of which were either shot by Panthro or dodged by Anakin. Angered, Monkian raised his mace and charged them, but Panthro leapt over the blow, while Anakin used his lightsaber to cut it in two.

Monkian looked dismayed, and then, as if to relieve the tension, "Alpha" began shooting in his direction. It was nerve-wracking how accurate Alpha could be, and Monkian was forced to flee. Anakin started to give chase, but Panthro stopped him. Monkian heard the ThunderCat tell Anakin about how it was better to spare a life when it wasn't necessary to take one, even when it came to their enemies, sometimes. Anakin wasn't the type who enjoyed being lectured, but he agreed to humor Panthro, and shook the ThunderCat's hand.

At another, better hidden vantage point, Monkian spied on the three victors of the fight as they freed the hostages and asked them what was going on. A freed hostage explained about how the Separatists were going to load chemical weapons onto some space transports, and planned to crash land them into Theed, killing half of Naboo's population. Seeing that the plan might be compromised, Monkian contacted Tug Mug and Red Eye, saying that they were needed at the transports just over the ridge. Then he decided to run away from the danger, a typical action for someone like him.

* * *

Tug Mug and Red Eye got the message, and reluctantly retreated from the fight against the Jedi to try to reach the transports before Skywalker and Panthro did. Slithe and Chilla stayed behind with Durge and the newly arrived Asajj Ventress to continue the fight with the others.

Chilla spoke first in her chilly voice. "It's interesting, what sorts of people you can meet, by joining a faction of disgruntled Separatists, ThunderCats. This wrathful dame certainly has a lot to say to you." She blew cold air out of her mouth. The Jedi and the ThunderCats almost felt a relief to briefly breathe in that air instead of the swamp gas.

Then Ventress spoke for the first time, casting out her outer cloak as she did so. "I emerged from misery and suffering, only to find that the Jedi I had once worshiped…are nothing but weak, misguided fools. Count Dooku speaks true. The galaxy _needs_ a Jedi Purge. And though I know nothing of these 'ThunderCats,' as the Mutants and Lunataks call them, if they so readily side with the Jedi and claim to have a similar, 'honorable' code, then perhaps the galaxy needs a ThunderCat purge, as well!"

"I don't know who you are," said Obi-Wan, "But you will not kill another Jedi today."

"And you won't kill any ThunderCats today, either," declared Lion-O, moving into a defensive position.

"You are quick, false Jedi," said Ventress, smiling evilly. Obi-Wan suddenly felt himself being lifted off the ground with a Force grip. It was quite a feat for Ventress, considering Obi-Wan was still affected by Tug Mug's gravity carbine. Lion-O tried to save him, but somehow, Ventress managed to do the same thing to him simultaneously.

"Perhaps I _won't_ kill you two," she said, "Perhaps I'll just _cripple_ you."

Tygra's bolo whip suddenly knocked the lightsabers out of Ventress' hands. He had also turned invisible, which he found useful, seeing as Red Eye was no longer there. But he thought wrong.

"Show yourself, ThunderCat!" she commanded him. "I don't have to see you to know where you are! The Force is what makes me a walking nerve cluster!" Then she raised one of her disarmed hands and lifted Tygra with a Force grip, too, forcing him to become visible again. Both ThunderCats and Obi-Wan were presently trapped.

"I've waited for this!" said Slithe, "Hold them there, woman! I'll have the pleasure of cutting off Lion-O's head for good!"

"And I'll ice Tygra's head," said Chilla.

"And I'm going to take Kenobi's head off," said Durge raising one of his blasters at Obi-Wan.

Zule finally intervened again. She slashed her lightsaber through Durge's back, knocking him to the ground. His shot missed. Chilla blew icy air at Zule. It came in contact with her lightsaber blade, and it sizzled on the plasma, having little effect. Slithe swung his axe at Lion-O, but the ThunderCat effectively fell to the ground, unintentionally dodging Slithe's attack.

"Stop meddling, you fools!" said Ventress.

"Who's meddling? I'm not meddling! I'm just doing what's part of a Reptilian's nature!" objected Slithe.

"You know what I meant, idiot!" yelled Ventress.

"Idiot!?" screamed Slithe. "Save that term for Vultureman, freak! He's always-"

They were distracted by Durge suddenly leaping to his feet and shoving Zule into the wet ground. It was a miracle to Slithe. Durge actually survived having his spine slashed! But he was soon to find out that he was wrong about the spine. Zule demanded to know how Durge survived having his spine severed.

"No central nervous system, sweetheart," he said, to Slithe's utter disbelief. "I don't have a spinal cord for you to cut. It's natural for the Gen'Dai species to have bodies with nerves without a central nervous system. Probably doesn't make sense to any of you, but it's an interesting fact to learn if you ever take up sentient biology. Now, I'm gonna take your face as a souvenir."

Zule reached for his holstered blaster. "This probably won't kill you," she said, "But it should leave a mark!" She shot him.

The Jedi got back together and resumed the fight. Ventress then gave Durge an order:

"Durge, follow Red Eye and Tug Mug. Get back to the ships and oversee the mission to Naboo. I will take care of these false Jedi. Chilla, you may stay. I could use some ice to keep me from losing balance with the fire in my heart."

"You sure the two of you can take them alone, Ventress?" Durge asked.

"With the Force as my ally, I am never truly alone," proclaimed Ventress, "Now go, before the boy can interfere!"

With that Durge left the battle.

At that moment, while Ventress retrieved her lightsabers with a Force Pull, an even greater shock happened. Many of the Gungan corpses came to life as zombies and began to attack everyone. The Jedi and the ThunderCats had quite a fight on their hands. The Reptilians were dropping like flies to the hungry Gungan zombies.

"Hey!" yelled Slith, "You're killing my own men, Ventress! What kind of loyalty is this?"

"To the Order of the Sith Lords, there _is_ no loyalty," said Ventress, _"Treachery_ is our way, not _loyalty."_

"Who the hell are the Sith Lords?' demanded Slithe.

"What? Count Dooku never told you?" Ventress mocked him, _"Dooku_ is a Sith. And I am his apprentice, in case you do not remember him mentioning that. And the Sith are the sworn enemies of the Jedi. We live to destroy Jedi, and to rule the galaxy. Why else do you think you and your pathetic friends were accepted by Dooku into the Confederacy? Because he knows that your kind is as treacherous as we are, and are also as eager for ultimate power to rule a whole galaxy, or a whole world, with, as us."

Slithe couldn't argue with that, to his disgust. "Maybe so," he said, "But don't tell that to Ratar-O. He demands loyalty. You should tell it to Monkian, Jackalman, and especially Vultureman, because they've betrayed me and each other more times than I can count. And the same goes for the Lunataks."

"This doesn't surprise me," remarked Lion-O as he fought off the Gungan zombies, "Obviously, these Sith Lords have a lot in common with the people of Plun-Darr, so it makes sense for them to join forces against a well-meaning Republic and its valiant Jedi Knights."

"Well-meaning? Valiant?" scoffed Ventress, "Listen, _boy lord_. The Republic couldn't care less about the troubles of my home world, Rattatak. They just let it drown in its own blood. And if the Jedi were truly brave, they would've intervened and helped my people and I, with or without the Republic's help. As it is, only one Jedi has made a difference to me, and that was Master Ky Narec. _He_ cared about me, and about my problems, and he saved me from death after my parents died at a very young age. He taught me the ways of the Force, and he helped me in my time of need, but unfortunately, he was murdered, and I had to give him a lonesome funeral, and even after that, the other Jedi _still_ didn't care about me. Well, now I've learned that except for Ky, the Jedi are little more than a band of weak, arrogant hypocrites who are very selective about whom they show compassion towards!"

"I never knew that," said Lion-O, "Well, whether the Jedi care of not, the ThunderCats always care. Maybe my friends and I can help-"

"Spare me your sympathy, Lord Lion-O!" said Ventress. "I don't need anybody's help anymore. I can take care of myself!"

"This is an abomination!" said Obi-Wan loudly, as he engaged Ventress in single combat. "You are a slave to the dark side!"

"There is no 'dark side' coward!" roared Ventress as she fought him. "You just lack the vision to see the full potential of the Force! I am not so blind." She Force pushed him away.

"Good. Then you'll be able to see this coming," said Zule, firing Durge's blaster at him.

"You should never warn your enemy, girl," said Ventress, ducking the blast, "You'll see I don't make that mistake."

* * *

In the meantime, Anakin, Panthro, and Alpha had just succeeded in stopping the mission of the Separatists. Alpha had placed explosives on the ships, and they had subsequently blown them up. There wasn't much time for celebration, though, because Durge, Red Eye, and Tug Mug arrived on the scene. Durge was the first to attack Alpha.

"You ruined my mission, soldier boy!" he growled at the clone. "Count Dooku told me about your progenitor. How he was supposed to be the best warrior in the galaxy, how he won some bounty hunting competition. Jango Fett was lucky I was taking a nap. Now I'll just have to kill all his spawn, starting with you!" He lifted up Alpha and threw him a long distance, towards the fires of the destroyed ships.

Red Eye threw his discus at Alpha, intending to burn him alive, but Anakin caught it with the Force.

"Hey, that's mine, Jedi!" he yelled.

"You want it back?" Anakin said, "Just a second. Get up, Alpha. You'll want to see this rematch."

Somehow, he had also gotten his hands on Durge's bolos, and he threw both weapons at Durge and the Lunataks. Before any of them could retaliate, Durge's own bolos curled around his armored neck and shocked him. Red Eye's discus flew above the Lunataks' heads and caught them in a field of fire, causing them some nasty pain. Red Eye, however, knew how to handle his own weapon, even if it was used against him, and soon he grabbed it and switched it off, putting it back in his chest armor.

Panthro laughed.

"Unh, smart, using our own weapons against us," said Tug Mug. "But don't think I'm going to free your Master from his dramatic weight gain, Skywalker!"

"No problem," said Anakin, "The Force can heal many injuries and other mishaps, from what I've heard."

Tug Mug grabbed Red Eye and started to high bounce away. Durge followed on his jetpack. As a parting shot, Durge shouted, "Next time, I'll have to gut you with your own lightsaber, Jedi."

If they had looked back, they would've noticed Alpha and Anakin returning to save their friends before they couldn't hold out any longer.

* * *

"You're all poisoned, tired, ready to fall," Ventress said smoothly, "I promise I'll make your deaths painless."

Lion-O urged Tygra to help him finish this. Obi-Wan said the same to Zule. No sooner did he do so than Ventress suddenly swiped off Zule's left arm. Lion-O was shocked again, but he found it surprising that a lightsaber could cut through flesh so cleanly, with very little bleeding.

Ventress, Slithe, and Chilla reveled in fighting their enemies, enjoying their emotions and fear. But then, Ventress sensed that the Jedi and the ThunderCats suddenly felt a spark of hope. She looked around with Slithe and Chilla, and the "cavalry," Anakin, Panthro, and Alpha, had arrived.

"Interesting," said Ventress, pushing them away, "Perhaps you're not as cowardly as I thought. I will remember that, for the next time we meet."

Tug Mug, Red Eye, and Durge arrived just then. Tug Mug grabbed Slithe in his other arm, which was a little tricky for him, considering he still had the gravity carbine, while Durge picked up Ventress and Chilla.

Obi-Wan reached out with the Force to the gravity carbine, and made it point at him and shoot again.

"Hey!" shouted Tug Mug, "You don't get to do that!"

"A Jedi can do anything to get himself or herself out of a jam, as long as it does not violate their code or their ethics," replied Obi-Wan, who now weighed his normal weight again.

Tug Mug snorted in response. Durge said to Ventress, "I thought you said you could handle them. Dooku will consider this mission a failure."

"And for once, I can't blame it all on Vultureman," complained Slithe, as he watched the last remaining Reptilians on the scene die or get dispersed.

"I disagree," said Ventress, "Now I know my enemy's face – and his heart."

And with that, they flew away, ready to wait for their next mission, which was going to be in the near future, while the Jedi, the ThunderCats, and Alpha left to get patched up and healed as best they could.

* * *

Not long afterwards, the Confederacy had secured an antidote for the virus, which Ventress, Durge, and the Mutants were assigned to guard. All the Mutants except for Slithe and Vultureman were there. Vultureman was needed elsewhere, and Slithe was facing a reprimand from Dooku for not being involved enough in the fight against the Jedi and the ThunderCats. Monkian had been reprimanded too, for the same reason, but Dooku thought his strength might be needed at the factory where the antidote was kept, and anyway, Monkian was naturally hyperactive. He felt the need to let off a little steam after his failure to stop Skywalker, Panthro, and Alpha on Ohma D'un.

"Nyah! So then," said Jackalman, "Does this antidote really work the way Dooku says it does, or is it just a decoy?"

Ventress sneered. "Weren't you listening to him at the briefing, you dog? Of course this is real! Why else would we be guarding it under such high security?"

Jackalman cringed and chuckled. "As you say, Mistress Ventress," he fawned over her.

"This creature reminds me too much of worms like Gunray, San Hill, and Shu Mai," said Durge, "How can he be of much use to us as a warrior, anyway?"

"Indeed," said Ventress, "I don't need cowards on my _own_ side, just on the enemy's side."

"He's here because he's part of the Mutant team, darksiders," said bold Ratar-O, "He plays a part in the Confederacy's fight too, you know, even if he is a little weak."

"I don't need to hear _your_ convincing, Ratar-O," said Ventress, "I need Dooku's. In the meantime, I've secured the antidote. Let's scuttle the lab before the Republic dogs can track us down."

"Too late, darksider," said a familiar voice. They all turned and saw Obi-Wan Kenobi standing there, along with four nomadic Jedi Masters: Knol Ven'nari, a Bothan, humans Jon Antilles and Nico Diath, and the ancient, elven Master Fay.

"Hoo, hoo, hoo! Not quite, Jedi! Our spies knew you were coming," said Monkian. _"I_ know. I was one of them, and so were several of my fellow Monkians."

"And we're fully prepared to kill you all, false Jedi," said Ventress, immediately clashing blades with Kenobi. Durge aimed his blaster, but not at the Jedi. He aimed it at the pressure suits of several methane-breathing Skakoan scientists. He fired, and there was a massive explosion, which surprised the Mutants out of their wits, except for Ratar-O, of course.

Ven'nari, known to the Jedi as "the fire eater," actually _consumed_ the fire of the explosion, pulling it all into her mouth and her body. This made even Ratar-O stare in disbelief. They had never seen anything like that happen before.

"Come on, you fools," said Ventress, "We need to get away with the antidote!"

The Mutants followed suit right away.

After the Jedi eased Ven'nari's passing into the next life, they noted that the facility had been compromised and was falling apart, and they followed Ventress and the others. They caught up to Ventress and some of the Mutants on a bridge. She was already ready to fight.

"Your whole order couldn't destroy me," she mocked the Jedi yet again.

"Nyah! Ha, ha, ha!" said Jackalman, "And the ThunderCats never bothered to destroy us! They're so full of themselves, with their 'code of honor' and all!"

"We won't need to destroy you people," said Jon Antilles, "The dark side has already destroyed you. I'm here to release you."

They clashed blades. Jackalman got behind Antilles and clubbed him with his crude club.

"You're just like the ThunderCats, evidently," Ventress said to Antilles, "You're all so arrogant."

"Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Woo! Woo!" said Monkian leaping onto the bridge from out of nowhere, "And overconfident." He knocked Antilles into the fire below the bridge, effectively killing him.

"I agree," said Durge appearing with him, "But you can't fly." Part of the bridge started to collapse.

"You can't swing, either," said Monkian, as he leapt up and swung from bent pieces of the ceiling, while Durge flew upwards with his jetpack.

"Hoo, hoo, woo, woo! It feels good to be back in business!" whooped Monkian.

"The next target is mine," said Durge, as Ventress noticed that the ceiling was also collapsing in some places. She started to run. Obi-Wan and Fay followed while Diath knocked down Durge and wrestled with him, promising to "keep this monster back."

But Durge merely pulled Diath off of him and pushed his head into the fire. "Take a deep breath, Jedi," he said sarcastically. "Quit struggling. You were dead the moment you met me."

Master Fay, who was one of the few Jedi who never wielded, or even carried, a lightsaber, used the Force to hurl debris at Ventress and Ratar-O, condemning Ventress as being simply hatred and bile given form. They fell to the floor. Ratar-O cleverly played dead, while Fay used her Force powers to pull away all of Ventress' thoughts, and Ventress swore to take Fay's heart as she was temporarily stunned.

At that moment, Monkian, Jackalman, and Durge attacked all at once, and Durge said, "You're not going anywhere, except the afterlife."

They knocked over Fay and Obi-Wan, who were almost spent, but then Ratar-O got up and zapped Fay with the Rat's Eye, suspending her in midair. Then Ventress recovered and stabbed Fay through the chest with both Sith blades while she was still in the Eye's grip.

"I'll have your heart, one way or another!" Ventress said coldly.

But at that moment, she and the Mutants noticed that Obi-Wan had taken the antidote. Believing (incorrectly) that Obi-Wan would die there and be destroyed with the antidote, they all decide to abandon the remaining Jedi and the antidote, and hightail it out of there.

"I'm calling in the evac ship. You hurt?" Durge asked Ventress.

"No, but where is Obi-Wan?" Ventress said. Then she noticed him clinging desperately to the side of a cliff outside of the facility. "Ah, there you are. You're tenacious, Jedi. Dooku is right. You would be a valuable asset for the Confederacy. Let me save you. Take my hand."

Obi-Wan didn't trust her. "Only with my lightsaber," he replied.

"Then the next time we meet I _will_ kill you, regardless of Dooku's orders," Ventress swore.

"Asajj! Let's go!" shouted Durge.

Ventress and the Mutants joined him in the ship, and they left.

"Vultureman is not going to like this, Mistress Ventress," said Jackalman.

"Nor is Dooku," said Ventress, "But at least, this failed mission made me learn another thing besides the face and heart of my enemies. In my opinion, if not in Durge's, you Mutants and Lunataks have shown your quality as warriors at last. If Obi-Wan will not join the Confederacy of Independent Systems, perhaps the Plun-Darr star system will be a valuable ally in our fight, after all."

The Mutants were surprised at Ventress' implicit respect, especially Monkian and Jackalman. "Hoo, hoo. Well, thank you, Mistress," said Monkian proudly.

"Same here, Mistress," said jackalman. They bowed awkwardly.

"It is an honor, Ventress," said Ratar-O, offering his hand for shaking.

Ventress didn't shake it. "Don't let this generous compliment get to your heads, right? If you expect to keep my respect throughout this war, all the way to the end, then I expect you to keep up the good work and fight like men, and not just like animals."

"Hoo, hoo. No problem," said Monkian hurriedly.

"I agree," said Jackalman.

"Come on," said Durge, "Let's get back to Count Dooku and that quack Vultureman and get over with their assessment of our failures."

Nobody was looking forward to this, but they knew that it had to be done, so they agreed to bite the bullet and face the music together.


	6. Last Stand on Jabiim: CIS

**A/N:** There will be two chapters about the Battle of Jabiim in my ThunderCats/The Clone Wars series, one in this story, and one in **Thundera Joins the Republic and Jedi**. The tale of that battle is told from both sides of the war very thoroughly, and I want both perspectives to shine in it, but it's too much to squeeze into one chapter, especially when I have three perspective driven fan fictions in this series.

* * *

_**Last Stand on Jabiim: C.I.S.**_

Monkian and Jackalman stood in the mud during a drenching rainstorm and watched as a human man stood on a tall rock and addressed all the people standing around him. Apparently, he was a powerful speaker, because his voice carried over a very long distance.

"Hoo, hoo. Who is that?" Monkian asked a man standing near him.

The man, who seemed to feel awkward being talked to by an ape-man, leaned over and said, "That there is Alto Stratus, one of the most famous military commanders on the planet Jabiim. He's always hated the Republic and resented the Jedi, and now he's forming a rebel group of Jabiimi Nationalists to help him fight on the side of the Confederacy of Independent Systems to free all of us from the oppression the blasted Jedi and Republic have put us through."

Jackalman said, "Nyah, huh, huh! I only hope he's a better leader than Slithe usually is. That Reptilian is always getting on my nerves."

"Hoo, hoo! Mine, too," agreed Monkian.

"You haven't anything to worry about," said the Jabiimi soldier, "Stratus cares about his people greatly, and while he doesn't take kindly to betrayal, anyone who stays loyal to him will be sworn to be helped by him in life or death. Just listen to what he's saying, and you'll get a better idea of what he's like, as well as our plight here on Jabiim."

They did listen. Alto Stratus was saying the following:

"Your planet – your _home_ – is being drowned in blood! For three thousand years we were loyal to the Republic. But did they send aid during the brainrot plague? Did they _react_ when the Trandoshans attacked? Where were the _Jedi_ when the Lythian pirates killed your parents, and mine? The Republic _ignored_ our cries for help – until they realized that beneath all the mud, our planet has a _heart of ore!_ Now they want to control the ore – to prevent us from profiteering from trade with the Confederacy of Independent Systems! We will let the Jedi Generals know that we will fight to be free! We will fight to defend our planet! We will send the Jedi home in caskets!"

The soldiers standing around him cheered as he held a long, metal sword up in the air, towards the cloudy sky. They cheered and shouted Stratus' name, and agreed with his assessment that they would fight to be free, and kill all the Jedi who came to their planet during this Clone War.

"Hoo! I'll say that man is passionate!" said Monkian.

"Does he remind you of any of the past problems Plun-Darr used to have, before we declared our war on the ThunderCats?" asked Jackalman.

"Hmm," Monkian said, trying to think. Thinking was always a challenge for his simple mind, but soon enough, he thought of what Jackalman was talking about. "Yes, I do, Jackalman! I _do_ remember how the ThunderCats and their fellow Thunderians disgraced Mutantkind all those generations ago, long before you and I were born!"

"Well, I think Mr. Stratus might find it very interesting if he fights for causes like this one this passionately," said Jackalman. "Come one, let's talk to him, if he isn't too busy, that is."

"I wish Slithe were here right now," said Monkian, "He's a much more charismatic speaker than either of us are."

"Oh, we don't need Slithe for this," Jackalman said dismissively, "Alto hardly even knows us. He won't immediately suspect our weaknesses if we talk to him."

"All right, then," said Monkian, "No more wasting time! Let's do it!"

Stratus was taking a breather from giving his speeches when the Mutants stepped up to him. "Nyah, Commander Stratus?" said Jackalman, "May we have a word?"

Stratus looked at them critically. "So, you're those weird Mutant things that came from far away to join the Confederacy. I don't suppose you have any brilliant ideas for how to fight this war, because otherwise, I have no use for barbarians like you."

"Yes," said Jackalman, "We're two of the Mutants. I'm Jackalman, and this is Monkian-"

"I already know who each of you are," said Stratus, "I was told about your identities, and who has which one. Now, what do you have to say? I don't have forever before I have to move my troops out, you know!"

"Hoo, hoo, yeah," said Monkian uncertainly, "Well, it's like this, Commander Stratus. Our ancestors on the planet Plun-Darr once lived in a lush paradise on our home planet, and we were at peace with much of the galaxy, and each other. But like you and your people, tragedy came to us. Plagues either killed many of us, or turned us into things we weren't supposed to be, which is why we're called Mutants. The experiments of some ancient enemies blended our, uh, genes, with those of animals, and we are now these sort of creatures. The original name of our species has been lost to history. And we had neighbors called the Thunderians, or the Cats, human-cats that lived on their own private world called Thundera. We came and asked them for help, but the ThunderCats abandoned us, or outright ignored us, when we asked for help, saying that they couldn't possibly help us. I guess our more animal-like appearance freaked them out, or something."

"Yes," continued Jackalman, "And then, some of us came to the planet Thundera with force of arms, attempting to take what the ThunderCats denied to us, what was rightfully ours. But the ThunderCats rose up in a much stronger force and drove us away, again with nothing except what we came with, and not even all of that. Angered by the arrogance of the Thunderians, a Mutant smith forged the mighty Sword of Plun-Darr, and intended to use it as a weapon of liberty and conquest for the Mutants, but as if in retaliation, the ThunderCats forged their own mystic sword, the Sword of Omens, embedded with the Eye of Thundera, the magical source of all the ThunderCats' power, and when a champion Mutant warrior named Ratilla tried to contest Jaga, the last ThunderCat to wield the Sword of Omens, he was defeated and slain, and our Sword was buried under Thundera."

"Hoo, hoo, yes," interrupted Monkian, "Ironically, though, we suddenly got our vengeance when the Sword of Plun-Darr caused Thundera to slowly self-destruct and kill much of the Cat population! Hoo, hoo, hoo! We went forth in our fleet to stop the rest of the escaping Thunderians, including the ThunderCats, but were repelled by the latter, and well, then we came to the planet Third Earth, where a demon priest named Mumm-Ra forced us to follow his demands after sinking our mothership beneath the desert sands. And ever since then, we've been fighting the ThunderCats in every way imaginable, and-"

"And we've never been able to defeat them!" interrupted Jackalman in his turn. "But the ThunderCats are just as much full of their righteous Code of Thundera as the Jedi apparently are of their Jedi Code, and in the long run, the ThunderCats that now serve the Galactic Republic have caused us more trouble than we have to them."

Stratus listened to everything they said. "So, you're saying that your home world of Plun-Darr has been oppressed by these Thunderians for generations, and you want to fight to be free?"

"Yes," said Monkian, "Of course, we Mutants have always sought for great power, too, and we've long thought we could get it by obtaining the ThunderCats' Eye of Thundera. But in a war like this, I guess ultimate power is more of a bonus than an ultimate goal."

"Long story short, Alto," said Jackalman, "We and our Mutant tribes want to help you and your soldiers fight this dirty battle on Jabiim. To an extent, we can sympathize with your point of view in this war, and we want the Jedi to be taught a lesson as much as the ThunderCats."

Stratus looked them both in the eyes. "Both of you are simple-minded," he surmised, "I can tell by looking at your eyes. Simple-mindedness isn't the best gift for strategy. But it also makes it easy for me to tell that neither of you are lying to me. Simple-minded people usually have shifty eyes and are shifty on their feet, too, when they lie. Your story is a true one. Very well. You are welcome to join the Jabiimi Nationalists for as long as we keep up our fight. Where are your tribes?"

"Oh, right over there, in fact," said Monkian, pointing to a spot behind the Jabiimi soldiers. There stood many Simians and Jackalmen that looked just like their leaders.

"They look like clones to me," said Stratus. "How will I tell you apart from them?"

"Hoo, hoo. Simple. I always carry a Simian Shield with the face of an ape on it in battle," said Monkian, showing off his shield. "It does a lot more than just protect its wielder from harm. It can fire projectiles, too. Hoo, hoo, hoo!"

"And you can tell me from the other Jackalmen because my armor has an extra shoulder strap on it," said Jacklaman, "Most of the others have a single strap."

"Very well, then," said Stratus. He turned back to his people.

"People of Jabiim, I have some good news for our cause," he announced, "Some of the Mutants of Plun-Darr that serve the C.I.S. have expressed interest in supporting our campaign to save our home world and help us destroy the Jedi! Commanders Monkian and Jackalman, and their tribes of look-alike warriors, shall be helping to supplement us in the battle!"

The Jabiimi Separatists didn't know thw Mutants of Plun-Darr well, but when they heard that capable warriors would be helping them, they let out cheers again. Very loud cheers.

"Soon, we shall depart to meet the Republic and the Jedi scum in battle," said Stratus, "as well as some new allies of the Jedi called the ThunderCats. Be prepared for anything, for the Republic's monstrous clone army has weapons like we've never seen before, and the ThunderCats probably do, also, and don't forget the lightsabers and Force powers of the Jedi, either!"

More cheers erupted.

Before they moved out, Monkian and Jackalman asked Stratus what sort of troops they'd be working with.

"The best of the best among the organic Separatist troops," said Stratus, "The Nimbus commandos. Well-armored, carrying high-powered blasters and other weapons, and gliding over the muddy surface of Jabiim with repulsorlift skates, they are superior to any soldiers the Republic can throw at us, including the Republic commandos that the Nimbus were trained to deal with and rival in this war."

The Mutants looked at the men dressed in red and gray armor with hovering skates on their feet and big blasters in their hands. They were quite impressed, even though they hadn't seen them in action yet.

"How about you, Commander Stratus?" asked Jackalman, "How will you fight the enemy?"

"I carry a couple of blaster pistols as backup weapons," said Stratus, "But my preferred weapon is this double-edged sword that hearkens back to the ancient times of Jabiim, when the Jabiimi fought like barbarians instead of modernized soldiers. Although it will not hold up against a lightsaber, I prefer it to a modern blaster in most of my battles. And I see that I am not alone in this, seeing that you two carry a crude club and a mace."

Monkian and Jackalman glanced at their weapons. "Nyah! Yes!" said Jackalman, "We've never quite been able to compete with the magical weapons of the ThunderCats, or the natural and technological ones of the Lunataks."

"That is fine," said Stratus, "Because I too feel sympathy for good fighters who cannot compete with the archaic magic of the Jedi."

Monkian and Jackalman stared at this angry yet compassionate man. It wasn't natural for a Mutant to feel compassion, but they actually found themselves sincerely liking this proud commander of his own private army. Evidently, the man had seen a lot of hard battles himself, and knew what it was like to lose constantly, though they were sure that he had some victories, too. They were surprised that they were actually making friends in the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

* * *

At the onset of the battle, some Jabiimi troops, along with several Monkians and Jackalmen, were standing guard in some trenches they had dug in an attempt to give the Republic forces a surprise ambush. In one such trench, a Monkian, a Jackalman, and two human Jabiimites were talking about the scarier points of the Galactic Republic.

"The Republic forces are on the move again," said one of the human soldiers.

"I know," said the other one, "And I hear they have Jedi with them."

"I didn't even think Jedi were real until last week," remarked the Monkian. "Is it true that they steal babies? Hoo, hoo, hoo!"

"Nyah! Yeah," said the Jackalman, "And they cut women in half with their laser swords."

"Then you've probably also heard that they grow their soldiers in vats in a laboratory?" said one of the soldiers, "And ride giant, four-legged-"

The ground shook violently for a second. A moment later, it did so again.

"Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! What's that? An earthquake?" asked the Monkian. The Jackalman cringed for a second.

"Stand your ground, Jackalman!" said the other Jabiimite, "You're a soldier of the Separatist Allliance, remember?"

"Nyah, yes, I know," said the Jackalman, getting a hold of himself in a few seconds.

"And to answer your question, Simian," he said to the Monkian, "It's not a planet-quake. Something's coming. Something big..."

An AT-AT walker, a huge behemoth of a walking tank, and a new invention for the Republic army, came stomping in their direction, firing loud laser cannons from its "face."

All four of them swallowed loudly. The walker was followed closely by clone troopers and Jedi Generals. The Separatist soldiers tried to blast the walker's legs, but their bolts had absolutely no effect on it. "That armor is too thick!" said one of the humans. The Mutant troops weren't doing much better with their own weapons.

Then, without warning, one of the metallic feet of the walker stomped down on their trench, crushing them. They were soon dead.

The other Monkians, Jackalmen, and Jabiimite soldiers had to retreat. "Fall back!" said one of them to his comrades, "Get to the defense perimeter!"

But it was too late. The clones and the Jedi were crowding them around and boxing them in. An ARC trooper named Alpha wounded the Jabiimi soldier who had shouted the retreat order. Many more were similarly hurt by the Jedi and ordinary clones. Several ThunderCats were there, too. Tygra whipped a Jackalman into shape. Pumyra shot pellets at some other Jackalmen, driving them crazy with temporary blindness. Lion-O, Ben-Gali, and Cheetara did some similar damage to the Monkians. Soon, the entire detachment was devastated. Alpha made a move to kill the soldier he had wounded, but Anakin said no, saying that they were not there to execute the prisoners.

Alpha disagreed, but Obi-Wan concurred with Anakin, and overruled the ARC trooper, saying that if they did excessive killing, they would only teach the Jabiimites to hate them more.

"Too late, Jedi," said a solider, "Nothing can ever stop us from fearing and hating you like the plague! So get used to disappointment."

Obi-Wan walked over to the prisoner and said compellingly, "You are deluded about the Jedi. You must give us a chance to prove our good side."

"I am deluded about the Jedi," said the man, "I must give them a chance to prove their good side."

"Hoo, hoo, hoo! Did you see that?" a Monkian yelled angrily. "That Jedi just used one of their devilish mind tricks on one of our comrades! You Jedi really are stupid, you know that? I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing to anybody, not even for unlimited power!"

The Jabiimites and the other Mutant soldiers gave a chorus of agreement.

"Vultureman would," said Lion-O, "He's a crafty sneak, and he'll do anything to become powerful, no matter how vile."

"We're not talking about Vultureman, idiot!" screamed another Monkian, "We're talking about _you_, Jedi!"

Obi-Wan looked like he felt a little guilty. "I guess that was a bad move. Don't any of you other Jedi make the same mistake I just did."

A Jackalman was lying on the ground, groaning in agony. "Ugh...it's getting cold. So cold."

"Just stay awake a little longer, Mutant," said a Jedi Master standing over him. "This will all be over soon."

"Don't...Don't touch me..." the Jackalman tried to snarl in defiance, but it came out more as a kind of mumbling drawl.

"Relax," said the Jedi. "My Padawan, Aubrie, is one of the Jedi Temple's best healers."

A young adolescent girl stood near the Jedi Master, but she looked less enthusiastic about healing the ungrateful Jackalman.

"This beast will live, Master," she said cynically, "only to fight again another day, you know."

"Just patch him up, Aubrie," said her Master firmly, "And don't refer to him as a beast. He's a human-animal hybrid, from what I've heard. Then we'll find the General."

As the other remaining Jabiimites, Simians, and Jackalmen were either gunned down or captured, and the prisoners were taken for interrogation, or healing, the Jackalman scowled at the pretty young woman healing him. True, he wanted relief from the pain and the cold, but like the Jabiimi, he hated having a Jedi, out of all people, doing the job on him. The only thing worse was probably being healed by a ThunderCat.

* * *

The battle was underway again. This time, Monkian, Jackalman, and Alto Stratus had joined the fight. Stratus had lent two pairs of repulsor boots to the Mutant leaders, and the Nimbus commandos had similarly obliged the other Mutant soldiers, so they didn't have to worry about slipping in the mud. The Mutants, especially Monkian, admired the way that Stratus was bold enough (and brave enough) to fight on the front lines with them.

"Hoo, hoo! The storm is scrambling all our sensors!" reported Monkian.

"It matters not," said Stratus, brandishing his sword and shield, "We strike now. We won't get another chance. Move in!"

But this time, the Jabiimi and Mutant soldiers were accompanied by a large detachment of battle droids, super battle droids, spider droids, and Hailfire droids. The clone army and their leaders were sure in for one tough fight.

They took the Republic forces by surprise, who mistakenly thought their way was clear. A Hailfire droid released several of its huge missiles at an AT-AT, destroying it. Then the Separatists moved in. Stratus and Jackalman found a female Jedi Master standing out in the open, apparently meditating on the Force. Stupid mistake, Jedi, thought Jackalman with glee, as he and Stratus tackled her from behind.

"The Jedi stand around with their eyes closed?" Stratus mocked her, "Too easy."

She struggled against Stratus' strong arms, but Jackalman stepped in front of her and hit her on the head with his club, hard. She was so dazed and in pain her body relaxed entirely.

"Nice move, Jackalman," complimented Stratus, and he stabbed the Jedi lady in the back with his sword, finishing her off.

Jackalman laughed. "Nyah, ha, ha, ha, ha! I haven't had this much fun fighting in years!"

Stratus frowned at him for a second. "Don't get too carried away with your 'fun,' friend," he said, "Remember, we're fighting a serious battle here."

"Nyeah, sorry, Alto," said Jackalman, "It's just that for generations, Mutants have had a natural thirst for battle, as well as for victory."

"Well, that's certainly doing my people some good these days," said Stratus, "Nobody outside of Jabiim has cared about us for a long-"

A laser blast almost hit him.

"What?" said Stratus.

A Republic ground transport was closing in on them, and Alpha and Anakin Skywalker were riding it. Anakin ordered Alpha to go help the others, while he took "mud-for-brains."

Both Separatist warriors snarled at that insult as Anakin attacked them. Jackalman swung his club at Anakin, but missed. The Jedi was about to slice up Jackalman's club with his lightsaber, but Stratus distracted him.

"I'll give you two one chance to surrender," Anakin informed them.

They both hit him at once, Jackalman with his club, and Stratus with his shield. "Don't patronize me," Stratus said, "I'd rather die than become your political prisoner, boy!" He and Jackalman sped away on their repulsorlifts.

"Same here, Jedi!" Jackalman shouted back. "I don't trust Jedi any farther than I could throw them!"

* * *

Some days later, while the battle was still underway, Stratus and his troops came upon a Twi'lek Jedi Master looking at some dead bodies. Monkian and Jackalman had accompanied him. The Jedi Master was saying a misquote of the Jedi Code. "There is no pain. There is only the Force."

Stratus glowered at the Jedi as he announced his presence. "There is no pain?!"

The Jedi looked up at them gloomily. Stratus sneered and said, "Another Jedi lie. The Jedi sits among the dead, and claims that there is no pain." He grabbed the Twi'lek roughly by one of his lekku.

"Last week, I saw my cousin crawling through the mud," said Stratus with quiet menace, "A blaster bolt through her gut, and her legs crushed by one of the Jedi war machines. Was that pain, Jedi? And when she died in my arms, what did I feel, if not pain!?"

He raised his sword and swept it downwards. The last thing that Jedi knew during his life in that plane of existence was that he may have been wrong about there being no pain, as he screamed his death scream.

Strauts clutched the severed head and said to everyone else there, "The Jedi have brought only suffering to our world. But I swear that every Jedi on Jabiim will soon know our pain."

The battle went on relentlessly. Battle droids, Mutant soldiers, and Nimbus commandos blasted many more Jedi and clones dead, and even though none of the ThunderCats were among the casualties, they too had a really hard time fighting this rough battle. In turn, the Republic forces kept gunning down or slicing up droids, Mutants, and men, endlessly. For days, it continued, and still, no one saw the end of it in sight.

On the Razor Coast, a Nimbus soldier and a Jackalman stepped up to their leaders.

"Commander Stratus, Commanders Jackalman and Monkian," they said, "One of our patrols has spotted a Republic convoy moving towards Cobalt Station. We'd like permission to attack."

"We're there any Jedi?" Stratus asked.

"Nyah! And were there any ThunderCats, too?" asked Jackalman.

"Several Jedi, and a couple of ThunderCats, actually," said the Nimbus commando. "But they appear to be very young."

Monkian snickered. "Hoo, hoo! That must mean the ThunderKittens are there! They're easy targets for Mutants, even for all their cunning tricks. Hoo, hoo, hoo, woo, woo!"

"Then they deserve to be attacked just as much as Jedi do," surmised Stratus.

"And we have them all trapped, too," continued the Nimbus.

"How so?" asked Jackalman.

The Jackalman soldier laughed like a jackal. "They're heading right into a minefield."

Stratus smiled with satisfaction. "Excellent. Alert the Nimbus and Mutant troops. My pals and I will handle the attack personally."

The mines started to blow up clone troopers and experimental clone walkers called AT-XT's, that were also being used in the Battle of Jabiim. The Jedi and the ThunderCats were obviously pinned down. Stratus ordered his men to circle them before they could recover.

But the Jedi were figuring out clever ways to take down the Monkian's, the Jackalmen, and even the Nimbus commandos, killing many of them. The ThunderCats were obviously against this, but their situation had become so desperate that they had to concede the battle to the way of war instead of the way of peace.

Monkian and Jackalman were almost amused by the way the ThunderCats were fighting this battle. They had never seen anything shred the ThunderCats' morals before like this, and for once, they didn't feel like the same old dirty villains they normally were.

Anakin attempted to kill Stratus again, saying, "You've killed your last Jedi!" Lion-O tried to stop him again, but Jackalman snuck up on both of them and clubbed them on the head with his club. Before Lion-O passed out, however, he zapped Stratus and the Mutants with the Sword of Omens, sending them flying a far distance away.

A Jedi and Pumyra came to rescue Anakin. Meanwhile, a Nimbus trooper located the stunned Alto Stratus and his compatriots.

"Sir, the Jedi convoy is still en route to Cobalt Station," said the trooper, "Should we pursue?"

Alto gritted his teeth, muttering something blasphemous about "that Sword of Omens, and how it must be even worse than the Force." Then he said to his soldier, "No. Recall _all_ of our forces. Every unit you can signal. We're going to regroup, and then we'll raze Cobalt Station to the ground."

"Don't worry, Commander Stratus," said Jackalman, "We'll fight with you to the end, even if it's yet another bitter end."

"Hoo, hoo, hoo! Yes, Stratus," agreed Monkian, "We will fight to the end."

Stratus, trying to ignore his headache, said, "No, my friends. For now, I want you to keep fighting with me, but I have a feeling those Jedi scoundrels and their ThunderCat pals are going to be the death of me before this battle is over. And you swore your loyalty to me, not all of Jabiim, which is fine, because I stand against the Jabiimi Loyalists. If and when I die, I want you two to take your remaining soldiers and flee from Jabiim as quickly as possible."

"Hoo, hoo! But why?" asked a disbelieving Monkian.

"Even if Jabiim falls, I want the fight to go on for the Confederacy," Stratus said, "And you fellows are some of the best friends I've had outside of Jabiim since, well, ever. The Separatist Droid Army needs talents like yours and those of your friends if they're going to win this war."

"But Commander-" started Jackalman.

"That's an _order_ from your Commander, Mutants!" Stratus said sternly. "Even if I lose, you _must_ win this war, for me."

Jackalman and Monkian saw the sense in this, and besides, they always were men with a knack for self-preservation, so they finally agreed to this. "We'll win this war for you, Alto," said Jackalman.

"Yes, we _will_, hoo, hoo, hoo!" said Monkian.

"Good," said Stratus, smiling briefly. "I knew I could count on you. Now, let's get to Cobalt Station before it's too late to kill those remaining Jedi!"

"Hoo, hoo, yes!" said Monkian excitedly, "I want to get some ThunderCat blood, too! Woo, woo, woo!"

* * *

Then, a few C-9979 landing ships came to the ground in front of them.

"See? I told you there would be reinforcements," Stratus said. "We'll take the planet in a matter of hours."

A number of rather ugly battle droids came out of the ships. They addressed Stratus and said Count Dooku sent his regards. Then their commander said that they were designed and programmed to disassemble over eleven thousand different sentient species, and were designed to do so specifically on Jabiim.

"Excellent," said Stratus, "What is your primary programming?"

"Assassination," the droid intoned. "Now what are your orders?"

"Just help me make the Jedi suffer," said Stratus.

Jackalman leered. "And help us Mutants make the ThunderCats suffer."

"Today, we go to war for the last time!" said Stratus to his people, "Today, we will free Jabiim!"

Unsurprisingly, the ThunderCats were still holding up, despite all the chaos, but the Jedi and the clones were dropping like flies. Stratus and his friends watched as a group of Padawans called the "Padawan Pack" led the attack against the Jabiimi Separatists this time. Apparently, they were trying to hold off the remaining Mutants and Nimbus commandos while that scoundrel Skywalker evacuated everyone else. Hailfire droids fired some missiles at the convoy again, softening them up a bit, in Stratus' words.

"But if we're lucky, a few of the Jedi children will have survived," he said.

The ThunderKittens suddenly flew into sight on their Space Boards. "How dare you cowards murder innocent children!" yelled the one called WilyKit furiously.

Stratus laughed. "A ThunderKitten, threatening us, assessing our morality? Listen, girl, we have our own morals. So don't tell us that you or any of these brats are innocent! And we'll see who the _real_ cowards are in a minute."

"I guess we will," said the other ThunderKitten, WilyKat, "Because _no_ ThunderCat is a _coward!"_

"Brave words, ThunderKid!" said Jackalman, "But this time, we have the advantage over you, for once. So even if you two survive to fight another day, you'd better get ready to say goodbye to your new kiddie pals, now!"

One of the Padawans said, "We stopped being children weeks ago!" Then they all charged the Jabiimites.

The fight wore on for quite a while longer, but one by one (in one case, two by two), the Padawans all died. One was killed, and another one was simultaneously killed by a psychic backlash from the first one's death. More of them were slain later as they struggled to fight off the Mutants and the remaining Nimbus commandos. At one point, a Padawan begged Stratus to give himself up and rest, because he could sense the Jabiimi rebel leader was getting too tired.

"I'll rest when I'm dead! How about you?" Stratus promptly killed him.

A few more Padawans were killed, too. A Gand Padawan died from a leak in her gas mask. Finally, as the last of the Nimbus commandos were finished off and the assassin droids began to be routed, only Aubrie and the ThunderKittens remained.

Stratus had been critically wounded by the Jedi he had killed. Monkian and Jackalman stopped by to help him, but he rejected their help.

"I told you," he said through his pain, "You must escape with your forces and live to fight another day if I am defeated, and I am as good as dead now. Now, go! Get out of here, before it's too late!"

"Commander Stratus!" shouted Monkian as the Mutants began to run from his dying body.

"Alto!" shouted Jackalman.

After getting a short distance away, they looked back in time to see Aubrie ignite two lightsabers and point them at Stratus. They heard her say, "You killed half of your people, and you murdered my comrades!"

"Get away from him, Aubrie!" WilyKit shouted. "He'll kill you, too!"

_How perceptive, little lady,_ Stratus sneered silently. He reached for one of his hidden backup blaster pistols.

"Don't lecture me about murder, Jedi," he snarled like an animal, "All of my victims were just casualties of your war!" He shot her in the chest.

"Aubrie!" screamed the ThunderKittens, but it was too late. She was dead. But as she fell, as her last act in corporeal space, she plunged both lightsabers deep into Stratus' chest near the shoulders. Stratus grunted in intense pain, and his last, quiet words were, "Just casualties of war..."

Monkian and Jackalman, to their surprise, felt a pang of pity for the dead rebel leader. It wasn't like the Mutants of Plun-Darr to have these feelings, and yet, they actually had genuine affection for Alto Stratus and his soldiers. But now they knew that their fight was a lost cause, and they could see the ThunderKittens getting ready to make their move on them. They knew the time had come to leave.

They keyed their comlinks. "This is Commander Monkian and Commander Jackalman to all our forces," they said. "Commander Stratus is dead. The battle is over. Prepare to retreat and evacuate, men."

* * *

Another entirely different story was taking place far away, on the distant planet of Rattatak. Asajj Ventress, and the Lunataks, Chilla, Luna, and Amok, were walking through a dungeon of some sort.

"So, then, you say that you secretly captured them on the planet Jabiim during that catastrophic battle?" asked Luna.

"Indeed," said Ventress with delicious desire, "And I have every intention of breaking them before they ever even consider seeing the light of day again."

"Ssssss!," said Chilla, "I can break anybody, if I lock them in an ice cube first."

"None of that!" said Ventress. "I intend to break them psychologically, and then, spiritually, before I break them physically. And as much as I respect you Lunataks and Mutants, you will not help me do it."

"You shouldn't respect the Mutants," said Luna, "They're worth nothing!"

"I will respect or disrespect whomever I choose!" hissed Ventress. "Now enough arguing. We have reached one of their cells."

Chained to a wall in a dark, filthy cell, stood a man in Jedi clothes, with a mask over his face. Ignoring the Lunataks, he said to Ventress, "You vowed to kill me the last time we met."

"Patience," said Ventress, "As I was saying to my Lunatak friends just now, it wouldn't do to break your body before I've broken your spirit. I came to give you more news of the war. The Republic has been beaten back on all fronts. Count Dooku and the Confederacy are on the verge of winning."

"We shall see," said the man, evidently not believing her.

"The Republic has already been crushed on Jabiim," continued Ventress, "Even sweeter, we slaughtered all of the Padawans, including yours."

"LIAR!" yelled the man, evidently quite upset.

Ventress was very amused. So were the Lunataks. "I can see you are so easy to break, already!" laughed Luna.

"Yes," said Chilla, "And soon, we'll do the same to your friends, Lion-O and so-called Alpha."

Ventress leered. "Welcome to your 'dark side,' Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Yes," said Chilla again, "Welcome to Dark Side."

Obi-Wan stared at her through his mask, feeling too weak to get at her. It appeared this truly was the lowest point in Obi-Wan Kenobi's life.

So far.


	7. Plun-Darr Pathways

**A/N:** This chapter is a bit shorter than most of the chapters I've done so far in my ThunderCats/The Clone Wars crossovers. I think some of my chapters have been lengthened overlong, and I'm going to try to be slightly briefer with as many chapters as I possibly can, though that doesn't mean that the chapters will literally be brief. The adventures in this story take place in a _Clone Wars Adventures_ comic called **"Pathways,"** from _Clone Wars Adventures Vol. 8_. It involves a battle droid army in which one lone battle droid makes a career change. A Mutant grunt will make the same choice in this chapter, but he isn't one of the Mutant leaders we've all grown to enjoy in the _ThunderCats_ cartoon.

* * *

_**Plun-Darr Pathways**_

It was a bright day on the planet Antamont, but that was soon to change. A Separatist droid detachment was marching along a road to meet some of the Republic forces in battle. Along with them marched a contingent of Mutant warriors, Reptilians, Monkians, and Jackalmen, all in file, side by side, and ready to fight.

_The great Separatist Droid Army – single-minded in purpose, unencumbered by the burden of free thought, its sum truly greater than its parts. Many a world has been put under its metallic boot tread._

_While hovertanks, Hailfires, and spider droids strike terror in the enemy's heart, none would succeed without the battle droid, the skeletal automations that form the legion's backbone. A clankety-clanking swarm connected through the collective core's hive-mind, there is the greater power. The strength of numbers. Interchangeable and essentially disposable, their ubiquity renders the individual droid practically invisible._

As the droid column marched along, a B1 battle droid in the front of the army with a slightly scarred "face" marched with a Simian Monkian, who happened to be a private in the Mutant army, assigned to march in the front with the B1's and B2's. The Monkian had a tiny scar on his right cheek.

_Plus or minus, one droid hardly makes a difference. Take one out and two more roll off the assembly line to replace it._

_It is similar with the mighty Mutant warriors. Although they are neither built like the droids, nor grown like the Republic clones, but naturally born, or hatched, like most beings, over the long years of brutal Mutant wars, the individual Mutant doesn't make much more of a difference. They are committed to their single-minded duty, too, and the hive-minds that lead them will not release them from their servitude. They even all look almost alike. The Reptilians all look a lot like their leader, Slithe, as well as each other, and the Monkians and Jackalmen look virtually identical to each other and to their leaders. And as a result of this, they too do not make a difference as individuals, like their Generals do. Their strength is also in numbers, and when Slithe, Monkian, or Jackalman lost a tribe member, it wasn't too difficult to find replacements as long as they had a connection with their home world, Plun-Darr._

The droids and the Mutants were approaching an area that had been saturated with Republic land mines. The scarred droid and Monkian in the front stepped very close to one of them, and it detonated. Some of the droids and Mutants died, but the two scarred troops went flying through the air and hit their heads on a rock in a river, simultaneously.

_In this way, the droids and the Mutants could almost sympathize with one another. If there were awareness for them, there might be comfort in that anonymity. But how could they know?_

_A droid's life flashes past its photoreceptors, marched into battle time and again, only to be destroyed, salvaged, rebuilt, and redeployed, a life of recycled horror. And a Mutant marches into battle repeatedly as well, being beaten time and again, only to be either killed, or patched up and sent back into combat. It's a life of _resuscitated_ horror for them._

The droid and his Simian compatriot had blacked out for a short time after hitting their heads on the rock, but now, they were starting to recover, and though they had splitting headaches, and the battle droid's head had a dint in it, they felt very differently than they had before, and not just by being dazed.

_And yet…and yet even more frightening is this strange new world to which they awaken. The droid's connection to the collective severed, the voice of the hive-mind silenced, for the first time, his reason of being is in question. And the Simian's connection to Commander Monkian's hive-mind severed also, his mind freed from committed servitude so he can think for himself, he too questions his reason for existence. And through the chaos, a new directive takes hold, for both of them:_

_Self-preservation at all costs!_

The Simian and the battle droid looked at each other. Somehow, despite their simple minds, they knew what had just happened to each other. And as they looked at the droid/Mutant army marching by, they both agreed that it was time to hightail it out of there. So they made a run for it.

However, a Reptilian soldier and a B2 super grapple droid, with strong, sharp claws on its arms in place of wrist blasters, noticed them running away, and gave chase, intending to return them to the army. On the way, the grapple droid and the Reptilian rudely knocked over another battle droid and a Jackalman.

The droid and the Monkian ran as far away as they could, until they both reached a cliff where several rocks and trees were standing around. They surveyed their surroundings and gave each other a hopeful look.

"Hoo, hoo, hoo!" said the Monkian, "You think we escaped the army? Woo, woo, woo!"

"I think we did," said the battle droid, "What shall we do now?"

"Hoo, hoo. I guess we just wait and see what opportunities present themselves to us now," said the Monkian.

"Good idea!" said the droid enthusiastically. "I can't wait to find something new to do with my life!"

"Hoo, hoo! Me neither! Woo, woo, woo!" cheered the Monkian.

_Putting several kilometers between themselves and harm's way, they wrestle with their new cognizance. Their future uncertain, they know one thing – they are not about to grind their new lives away in the gears of war!_

_Suddenly, a world of new possibilities presents itself. Suddenly there is hope._

_Of course, a cog cannot slip from its machine without consequence._

At that moment, there was a sound like the snap of a twig, or a branch. The Mutant and the battle droid turned. There were the Reptilian Mutant and the grapple droid that had quietly followed them, and they looked both mad and mean.

"Desertion is a violation of protocol," intoned the grapple droid to the battle droid, "Return to formation at once!"

"You too, Simian," said the Reptilian, "You know it's against Mutant military protocol to run away from the army, too!"

The Monkian and the battle droid looked alarmed, but they didn't make a move. They felt a strange sort of courage that wasn't typical of Monkians or B1 battle droids, and they were taking full advantage of it.

"Are you deaf, Monkian?" said the Reptilian. "I may not be part of your tribe, but I still have authority in this droid detachment! Get back to your post!"

"Repeat, _return to formation!"_ said the grapple droid more loudly.

The battle droid fired his E-5 blaster rifle at the grapple droid, while the Monkian swung at the Reptilian with his mace.

"I'd rather not," said the battle droid, "Have you _seen_ what you're all marching toward?"

"Hoo, hoo, yes," said the Monkian, "You're all crazy to go out there and get yourselves killed by a bunch of supernatural warriors and vat-grown soldiers, not to mention the unbeatable ThunderCats!"

"Our place is not to question directives," said the grapple droid, which seemed to be little affected by the laser blasts. The Reptilian also kept dodging each strike of the Monkian.

Then the two bigger Separatist soldiers moved in without warning and grabbed the deserters by their arms, lifting them up in the air.

The battle droid said, "It _is_ if you value your servomotors, if you stop to think about it."

"Hoo, hoo, yeah," quarreled the Monkian, "So how about it? Want to stop and think for a bit?"

The Reptilian disarmed the Monkian of his mace and tossed it aside, subsequently shoving the smaller Mutant against a tree stump. At the same time, the grapple droid cut off the battle droid's right hand with its sharp pincers, disarming the smaller droid of its E-5 blaster, and threw him against the same stump.

"No? Fair enough," said the Monkian in a snarky manner.

"You Simians aren't supposed to _think!"_ announced the Reptilian angrily. "You don't have the _brains_ for it! None of us are supposed to think, besides. Our Commanders and Generals do the thinking for us. We're soldiers. We take orders."

"And you are the property of the Trade Federation," said the grapple droid, crunching the tree stump. "Your fate is not for you to decide."

The battle droid and the Simian dodged the grapple droid's claws just in time. "And yet here we are, deciding," wisecracked the droid, getting up with his friend to run away again.

"There is only futility in running," said the grapple droid, chasing them and slicing through a whole tree trunk, "Submit!"

"Yessss, ssssubmit now," said the Reptilian, also chasing them, "Or I can make things very uncomfortable for you. Or perhaps Slithe or Commander Monkian can."

"Futility is being continually scrapped – that's our submission!" argued the battle droid.

At this point, they were at the cliff again. The Simian attempted to reason with his angry former comrades. "You don't have to do this. Disconnect from the core. Think for yourselves."

"I told you already," said the Reptilian impatiently, "Our Commanders and Generals do our thinking for us. We don't _need_ to think to get our job done."

"When the central command speaks, the thinking has been done," agreed the grapple droid.

"I'm off central control's grid – registered as lost in battle," said the battle droid desperately, "And I think the same goes for my friend here. Why not just let us go?"

"If you will not return," said the grapple droid threateningly, "I will recover your cognitive centers for repair and reboot!"

"And if you don't return, and stop saying the word 'think,'" said the Reptilian, "I will personally flush what brains you have left down the toilet and replace them with scarecrow stuffing!"

"Well, _that's_ tempting!" remarked the battle droid and the Monkian at the same time. "Still – pass!"

They both attempted to dodge the Reptilian and the grapple droid, who were charging them now, by diving aside. The grapple droid and the Reptilian unintentionally fell off the cliff, but they somehow grabbed the battle droid and the Simian by the feet and pulled them down with them. They fell a long way, but not nearly as far as they could have. They finally crash-landed on the ground below in a very small explosion, but the grapple droid and the Reptilian came off far worse. The grapple droid was severely dented in numerous places, and the Reptilian's body was broken beyond easy healing. The battle droid and the Monkian, though, were mostly cushioned by their bigger cousins, and came out with only a bruise or two on the Monkian and a few small scratches on the battle droid.

The two deserts made a move to escape, but they heard the grapple droid and the Reptilian moaning and hissing at them about their actions, and stopped to listen.

"Why? Why do you…do this?" said the Reptilian, hissing in pain.

"Y-yes?" said the grapple droid, "If you don't return to central control for charging…your batteries will soon…expire. You can't have much energy left – why waste it? It's pointless. It's…suicide."

"And you?" continued the Reptilian, "Even if _you_ find some resources to survive on, where will you find anyone to take you in? Nobody is interested in Mutant grunts except other Mutants, and they won't – hsss! – accept you, once they find out you're a deserter, yesssssss?"

"I'd rather have two days of freedom than go back to what I was," said the battle droid.

"And I'm willing to take the chance of being unaccepted by society," said the Monkian, "If it means freedom for me, too."

"Besides," said the battle droid, "we wouldn't have lasted that long on the battlefield anyway."

The grapple droid and the Reptilian suddenly started to show a little self-awareness themselves as they slipped closer to death. "It's getting cold out here…" said the Reptilian, "I do not want…ugh, to die like this. I'm…afraid to die."

"It's getting dark," said the grapple droid in turn, "The core is no longer…returning my signal. I do not want…to go off-line. I am…afraid."

The changed battle droid and Monkian showed some unexpected compassion just then. They knelt by the bodies of their fallen comrades and both said, "You don't have to be. You're not alone."

The battle droid and the Monkian stayed with the shutting-down grapple droid and the dying Reptilian, keeping them company and keeping them warm, comforting them as best they could, until the two bigger Separatist grunts finally passed away in peace. Then the Monkian buried the Reptilian in a small, unmarked grave to show his corpse some respect, instead of leaving him to be scavenged on by the beasts and birds of Antamont. After that, he and the battle droid walked a little ways away from the ruined grapple droid and observed the battle that was now taking place between the Republic and the Separatists for several long moments.

_One last chance to go back. One more step to the point of no return._

And with that, the lone battle droid and the lone Simian Mutant left the battle for good and went their separate ways, wishing each other well before they parted. They figured that since the Monkian didn't have much experience with repairing or recharging technology, it might be better for him to go away and live a free life, while the battle droid enjoyed his two days or so of freedom on other parts of Antamont until his batteries ran out and he shut down. The last thing the Monkian told the droid was that he had chosen an individual name for himself, so he would no longer be so anonymous, and also told him what it was. The battle droid replied that if he had a longer life ahead of him, he would try to think of his own name to replace his impersonal unit number.

So the Monkian snuck down to where some Separatist transports were and knocked the small Mutant crew of one unconscious, dragging their bodies outside. Then he commandeered the shuttle and discreetly took off, taking care not to fly near where the Separatist battleships and destroyers were. The battle droid, meanwhile, walked up some very tall hills and into the mountains, until he couldn't walk any further, and sat down, leaning against a tree. A matter of minutes later, his batteries ran out and he switched off as the sun set. His spindly body stayed there, untouched, for a long time, sometimes buried by winter snow.

* * *

For some time, the Monkian wandered the stars, until he came to the planet Saleucami. It wasn't a jungle world; in fact, much of it was desolate and volcanic, but he found a large patch of hospitable land in the wetlands, and he went here looking for work. As he arrived, he met a beautiful Mirialan woman. She was evidently dressed as a miner, an unusual job for a woman. Her face and hands were a little dirty, which partially covered her signature tattoos, but that didn't make her any less attractive.

Soon, she noticed him, too. "Hey," she said, "You're one of those Simians, or Monkians, that works with the C.I.S. now, aren't you?"

"Hoo, hoo, yes, I was," said the surprised Monkian. "But I quit. I don't serve the Separatist Droid Army or the Mutant military anymore, and I've made it a point not to kill or destroy for a living anymore."

"That's interesting," said the Mirialan lady, "I didn't know the Mutants could do that. So, what brings you to the wetlands of Saleucami?"

"Well," said the Monkian, "With my new, free life, I'm looking for work, good, honest work, and maybe somebody who's willing to accept me as a friend or a companion despite my heritage as a warmongering Mutant of Plun-Darr."

The Mirialan looked at him with what might have been affection at first sight, though nor necessarily love at first sight. "Well hey, I think I can provide a job for you, if my bosses are also willing, and I'm pretty good at convincing them of things. Why don't you start your life by joining me in my job? Become a miner? I hear that the Simians are strong and enduring, and you might be able to help me take an occasional rest from my own job, because it can get exhausting for a woman to mine all day and night, even an athletic Mirialan woman like me."

The Monkian looked intrigued. That sounded good to him, at least to begin with. "Hoo, hoo, hoo! You're on, lady! I'll do it, your bosses willing, of course. Woo, woo, woo!"

She laughed. "I like that ape sound you and your Monkian brothers and sisters make when you talk," she said, "It makes you sound so, well, unique. No other species I know of is quite that much like primates, not even humans."

"Oh," said the Monkian, "Well, thank you."

"By the way, what's your name?" said the Mirialan, "So I don't have to call you 'Monkian' or 'Simian' all the time?"

He prepared to share his chosen name with the first person since his battle droid friend. "My name's Mongo," he said.

"Oh, that's a cute name for a monkey," she said, smiling. "I'm Vera Armar."

"It's good to meet you, Vera," said Mongo, offering his hand for shaking.

Vera willingly shook it. "Thanks," she said.

* * *

Some years later, after the Clone Wars, possibly during the Galactic Civil War of the Rebellion against the Empire, a couple of human farmers on Antamont were walking around the tall hills of their planet when they spotted something unusual.

"Hey, check this out!" said one of them to his companion. They trod up the hill and saw a lone battle droid with dead batteries leaning against a tree in a sitting position, its head drooping forward.

"Have you ever seen one of these all in one piece before?" he asked his friend. They approached the lifeless droid and examined it closer.

"Well, almost all in one piece," remarked the first farmer, "It seems to be missing its right hand. Looks like it's seen some action." He took a look at the dint on the side of the droid's head.

"What's it doing all the way up here, though?" wondered the second farmer, who knew that most of the battle droids in the Battle of Antamont had been destroyed thoroughly, and down on much lower ground, too. "It doesn't make any sense."

The first farmer had an idea. "If we can charge it up, maybe it could help out around the ranch. Here, grab its legs."

Together, the two ranchers gently picked up the lone battle droid and carried him down the hill carefully, and into a new life of freedom that the battle droid would enjoy for a very long time.

"This little droid might have some life left in him yet."

* * *

**A/N:** Mongo and Vera will not return in the **Thundera Joins the Republic and Jedi** chapter where I will show Cut Lawquane's story. Their whole story pertaining to this fan fiction is told in this chapter. Cut's story and that of his family is separate.


End file.
